


The Apprentice

by Scribe32oz



Series: Tales of the Republic [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Heavy Angst, Jedi Knights, Lightsaber Battles, Space Battles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-14 09:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 57,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14767295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribe32oz/pseuds/Scribe32oz
Summary: First loves are often the hardest to forget and when Vin Tanner receives a cry of help from Charlotte, the first woman he ever loved, he is powerless to ignore it. Despite Chris Larabee's advice that all is not as it seems, Vin ignores the warning, determined to keep the promise he made to Charlotte to always be there in her time of need, unaware that others are watching and waiting, ready to exploit that promise.Others like Darth Vader.





	1. Charlotte

 

He was eighteen years old before he finally escaped from Tatooine. 

When Vin Tanner arrived on Coruscant, he was terrified and alone. Tatooine was a place of wide, open desert, wastelands that were devoid of life as far as the eye could see. The Sand People who had for a time given him refuge and taught him their ways moved in scattered nomadic groups, following the trail of water. After he freed himself of the tracer device Jabba the Hutt implanted in all his slaves, he was forced to hide amongst their number. They accepted him because they recognized his spirit was not too dissimilar from theirs. He remained with them for as long as it took to save enough credits to gain passage off world. That endeavor had taken almost two years and finally he boarded a cargo transport with the desire it take him as far away from Tatooine as possible. He never wanted to come back.

Until he arrived on Coruscant.  

Tatooine, despite the ugly memories it held for him was a place known. He could survive in it. Coruscant was life nothing he could possibly imagine; an entire planet incased in urban walls. From the moment he stepped off the transport ship onto the landing platform, he had never been surrounded by _billions_ of people. To actually touch the ground of Coruscant was a damn impossibility. The age of the planetary metropolis was thousand of years old and during that time, building and rebuilding had occurred over so many layers, most ot its citizens lived high above in the skyline made up of platforms, towers, spires and skyscrapers. The sheer volume of people nearly sent him scrambling back to that ship. However, he knew he could take care of himself and so he ventured into the unknown a tried to survive. 

He found work easily enough because he was unashamed of doing anything. Being a slave tends to inure one to thinking one was too good for any kind of work. He had no difficulty being humble and subservient when it served his purposes and he saved his money, having no friends, no woman to spend it on and no real expenses other than the basic necessities of his frugal existence. He continued this way for a year, drifting aimlessly unaware of what to do until the advent of the Clone Wars. In truth, he joined the New Republic forces for the lack of anything better to do and admitted the idea of becoming a part of something greater than himself had always held great attraction for him

He never saw a Jedi during his entire tour of duty. 

He had heard of them of course. One had to exist in a vacuum to not hear about the Jedi but they seemed too mythical to be real and he often wondered, when he was fighting the enemy wearing identical faces, if the Jedi were just a creation to boost morale. Certainly they seemed unreal to him. When the war ended, he found himself with no wish to remain in the rank and file. Organized killing was not for him, though he suspected ultimately his future involved his superior tracking and combat skills. He bought himself a ship and drifted a little longer before meeting an old bounty hunter named Crawl. He had found the Modrek about to be vaporised by an old mark with a grudge and his untimely arrival saved Crawl from death. Crawl gave him direction he sorely needed in his life, impressed by his survival of the Clone Wars and the fact his tracking skills came from the Sand People of Tatooine, one of the most secretive races in the galaxy. 

Crawl gave him the contacts he needed and his first job was not as a bounty hunter but rather a bodyguard. Crawl called him green and had been attempting to ease him into the profession by giving him something simple to start out with. At that time, odd things were happening around the galaxy. Whispers about Jedi exterminations, about the Republic caving under its own weight and Palpatine's secret agenda to become Emperor. Coruscant shrugged off these rumors as organizations old and set in their ways was often did, too skeptical to imagine they could be so weak. 

By the time he arrived in Commenor, one of the worlds that made up the core systems, Palpatine  _had_   become Emperor and the new age had begun. He stayed out of these things. Hearing the legendary Jedi were being driven into extinction sent a twinge of sadness through him, though he could not imagine why. The feeling lasted briefly until he arrived on Commenor to protect the wife of the new Imperial Governor from danger. She had gone into hiding from enemies Governor Will Richmond refused to name but was adamant she be protected from at all costs. After arriving on Commenor, he was sent promptly to Bespin where Richmond's wife was presently hiding until the danger had passed. 

Her name was Charlotte and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

In truth, he did not know many women. During his years as a slave, there was not much opportunity to meet any when he spent most of his time on a moisture farm, taking care of vaporators. When he left, the social skills required to interact with the opposite sex confused him and he gave up all together trying to make contact. When he was in the army, he discovered the emptiness of paid encounters and realizing that other than the physical release, the whole experience of intimacy with a woman was rather overrated and certainly not warranting all the literature that seemed to be written in its name.  

But Charlotte was different.

From the moment he saw her, he understood that he was lost, utterly and irrevocably. She looked at him with laughing green eyes and her smile speared his heart, through all his defenses with little or no difficulty. He had not been able to stop staring from first time he saw her and she understood instinctively his feelings were deep and passionate, that it was more than just lust or a need to protect her. He took his responsibility to protect her very seriously although she never told him any more than Richmond did about whom she was being guarded against. Still he had a sense it was not because of any distrust but her own desire to protect him. 

He tried hard to remain objective during his first few days as her guardian but Richmond had wanted a minimal complement of guardians, so he found himself completely alone in the suite of rooms she occupied on Bespin. However, he was soon drawn to her almost against his will and for a young man having fallen in love for the first time and hard, the lure of her was too much for him to withstand. He did not know how long it was before he arrived in Bespin that he became her lover but it was not long. It was as if she were made for him and as they came together night after night, in a tangled mess of limbs and heated pleasure, he decided he could never be without her. Charlotte told him ]it was foolishness to let himself think this because their relationship was terribly forbidden and she could not leave her husband no matter how much she loved him. 

At first he thought it was because he was a nobody in comparison to her rich husband who had money and power but later he came to understand it was something more, something to do with why he could not know whom he was protecting her against. After a while, she began to fear for him, claiming on numerous occasions he needed to leave and could not be here when they found her. He never understood the reasons for her fears, as if somehow the danger to her would spread its ugly tentacles to take him as well. When he asked her to explain, she merely shrugged citing it as foolishness but he could in her eyes it was more than that.  

She was afraid, not for herself but for him and he could not for the life of him understand why.

And there was something else too, something that did not make sense to him until later years when he come to learn a few things about himself. She always seemed to know exactly what he was feeling with an almost uncanny insight. He supposed that was why he fell so completely in love with her. The idea of meeting someone who knew you with so much understanding was a once in a life time experience he refused to let go and discovered that though he loved seldom, he also loved passionately. She seemed to always know what to say to make things better and the months they spent together, lovers enthralled by forbidden passion was the best time he ever had in his life. He never thought he could be that happy.

Having already broken the foremost rule of all bodyguards by becoming personally involved with those he was meant to protect, he had little difficulty in allowing himself to think there might be a future for them as well. Charlotte indulged him a little even though he suspected she had a better grasp of reality than he. He convinced himself he was capable of protecting her from anything even though he had no idea what it was that threatened her so. But their future together was never in doubt. He just refused to believe it. In the end, there was little choice but to accept the truth when news of their love affair reached Richmond who immediately terminated his services. To add insult to extreme injury, his replacements ensured his removal from Charlotte and she was spirited away.  

They had left him battered and half dead but he managed to track her. It was at that point, he realised how adept he was at finding the people who did not want to be found. He tracked Charlotte across the galaxy and found her in the Corporate Sector. His intention had been to take her away from Richmond forever because the days leading up to finding her had been torture. He never thought he could burn for anyone the way he burned for Charlotte. However, finding her did not put an end to his suffering for Charlotte was expecting him but she had also been keeping a secret from him.

She had been carrying Richmond's child. 

By the time he had found her, she had already delivered her baby, a little girl with reddish blond hair called Lilith. Finally he understood why Charlotte asked him to leave on so many occasions. She had a child to raise, a child he almost wished was his if it would make her come away with him. Charlotte perhaps having more sense than he, told him to leave and never look back, to forget her because she would have to forget him. He knew it was not that simple and remembered begging her to come with him. He did not care if the child was not his, just as long as its mother was. Yet Charlotte would not be swayed and she even went so far as to tell him that he would be in danger if he remained with her. 

He had translated as that being some kind of a threat from Richmond but later on, after he had left her, his keen insight was not as certain as before. He started to believe Charlotte had secrets that had to do with more than just her being pregnant but he could not fathom what it was. In the end, he had no choice but to leave her when she told him he could not protect her or her baby if they were together. It had hurt him to hear her say that and walking away from her had left an open wound in his heart that never really faded entirely. Still before he had left he had promised if she had ever need of him, he would be there.  

After she was gone from his life, he had returned to Coruscant, bitter and angry.  

He spent the two months drowning inside of a bottle until Crawl came to his rescue by offering him a real job as a bounty hunter and Vin supposed it was a good way as any to forget about Charlotte. Eventually he did of course and she faded into his memories, even though he dreamed about her at night and could sometimes feel her, though he could not understand how that was possible. He did not know how many bounties he had brought in before he gained his fearsome reputation but did not really mind it that much since his infamy proved to be quite useful during his final years in the business. 

During those years he tried not to think of Charlotte or how she might have been, aching still because she had asked him to leave her and decided she probably never thought of him at all, except as someone who once made her forget she was unhappy.  But he was wrong. Charlotte Richmond thought about Vin Tanner a lot and she never forgot his promise to help her if she ever needed him. 

Unfortunately, others did not forget either.


	2. Desert Power

This was pure hell.

The blood red sun staring down at the garrison of stormtroopers seemed to be waiting for something. The men were sweltering under their uniforms, wondering whether there was any point to this exercise that would kill them before they were done accomplishing the mission they were sent here to undertake. However, indecision and questioning the orders of Coruscant was never a wise thing to do whether one was a foot soldier or an upper echelon officer of the Imperial forces, the consequences was almost always the same and though it was unspoken, everyone knew that meant. A swift death usually delivered in secret. There were lots of secrets in the Empire these days and once again, it was an unspoken rule that its citizens continued their daily existence without ever mentioning them.

Most people still pined for the Old Republic; unable to come to terms with the new rules even though it was universally agreed there was certainly more order in the galaxy now the Empire was in charge. No endless squabbling by senators who could never get anything done because the foot of bureaucracy was holding them down allowing confusion to reign. At least with Palpatine's rule, actions was swift and decisive, opposition was dealt with ruthlessly and the Empire grew beyond the dreams of avarice until within a few short years of its establishment, felt like a dark monolith that had always been there. A surprising number of star systems found it easy to be yoked to the great machine of Imperial rule because of the order and infrastructure allowed them to stabilise their own governments. 

And then there were places like this one, who fought the assimilation of Imperial rule with every fiber of their being, who were determined to break off the shackles of Imperial rule no matter what the costs to themselves or their world. Okanah was a star system on the edge of the Minos Cluster, a wholly unremarkable world except for the mother lode of coaxium ore that seemed to exist beneath the surface of its desert sands. Their open resistance was met with Imperial force and that seemed to drive the rebels deeper into the desert. Since the bulk of the coaxium was found in the desert belt, the rebels had been relentlessly attacking the Mining Guild's efforts to extract the ore. Finally an Imperial task force comprised of a garrison of surface shock troopers were deployed to deal with the rebels on Okanah.

It was meant to be a smooth and simple operation. The stormtroopers would sweep the desert like locusts and destroy anything that came across their path. Unfortunately, it had been anything but simple or textbook for that matter. The soldiers were in the desert belt for a month before conceding to finding nothing. With no sign of activity anywhere, the Guild was allowed to mine its ore without incident. The directives from Coruscant ordered them to keep searching and so they continued their mission of search and destroy. Weeks passed and still they found no trace of the rebels. Resources were dwindling as rapidly as morale. The heat was damn near insufferable and soldiers were plagued with heat stroke on a daily basis.

Then the attacks began. 

Small guerilla incursions slipped into their encampment in the dead of night. Casualties were small, often limited to just wounded. There were deaths but only a small number. The day after the first one of these attacks, the Imperial commanding officer had made an oath that the rebels would pay and so the pursuit in the deep desert began. For days on end, there was no success and the commander had started to think that perhaps they should be thinking of turning back. That night another attack followed with the same kind of casualties and the chase continued. Deeper and deeper they went until they were so far from civilization that turning back was impossible without an extraction by ships.

During the last of these attacks had seen the rebels destroy their communication equipment. Now they found themselves in the desert alone and cut off from reinforcements, supplies and escape. The mood was dismal and many had tried deserting but with desert terrain surrounding them in every direction for hundreds of miles, there was nowhere to go even if they did escape without being shot. The commander was certain they were close if they persevered just a little longer, they would find the rebel enclave and complete their mission. After all, they were the ground-pounding arm of the Imperial war machine; they could not be defeated by a group of coaxium miners who had suddenly taken to insurrection. Eventually, military superiority would win out because the Empire had it in abundance and the Okanah had nothing but pride.

* * *

Actually, the Okanah did have one thing the Empire did not; Mary Travis.

The lovely blond rebel leader peered through the binoculars that allowed her to see into the heart of the enemy camp, a little smile crossed her lips because things had transpired exactly as she had planned it. When the Okanah contacted the Rebel Alliance two months ago, pleading for assistance because the Empire was coming to take control of the planet, there had been little the Alliance could do in furnishing aid to the distant world. The Alliance was still a fledgling movement and while it had ships and weapons, it had nothing that could even compare to the awesome might of the Imperial war machine. However, the threat of what a garrison of Imperial troops would do to the even more fledgling local resistance movement demanded the Alliance at least try to make some effort to help the Okanah. 

The help arrived in the form of Mary Travis and a group of her best warriors. No sooner than she arrived Mary had assessed the situation the Okanah faced with and came a battle plan allowing them to survive their confrontation with the Empire. Other than coaxium, the Okanah had very little on their planet that could be called redeeming. It was mostly a mining world that for centuries had enjoyed the protection of the Old Republic and thus had no army or military forces of its own to speak of. However, Mary soon came to the conclusion that conventional weapons were not needed here.  

To win against the Empire on Okanah would require a very different kind of weapon. Desert power. 

"They're done." She stated firmly with a smile curling the edge of her sun cracked lips after lowering the binoculars from her face and retreating beneath the cover of the sand dune from which she had been making her observations. 

"Are you sure?" The Okanah beside her asked.

Aleyan son of Lahis, was the leader of the rebel movement on Okanah. Aleyan had won this distinction because he was the last surviving member of the ruling body known as the Habasha. The Empire's first act upon annexing Okanah for its own was to kill all the members of that august body, including Lahis who was its First Minister. As a memorial to the institution that led the Okanah through many years of peace, the rebel movement given life in its harsh deserts called itself the Habasha, so the people would always know that the Habasha survived in spirit if not in form. 

"Yes," Mary nodded, meeting his eyes with a nod. Okanahs were mostly humanoid in shape with darker skins and their strong limbs characterizing them after centuries of mining. Their body's ability to store water in their tissues, far more than humans were capable, made them the perfect desert dwellers. They had no eyelids to speak of but a translucent layer that slipped over their irises to protect their vision from Okanah's harsh desert storms. An Okanah in the desert could last for weeks, while a human would die in a matter of days. They had little hair on their bodies and distinguished themselves and their family name by the symbols that were tattooed on one side of their face.

"I can sense their fear." Chris Larabee remarked next to the two rebel leaders. "They're disorientated and afraid. If we attack them now, they'll never regroup in time to offer any kind of resistance."

"Perhaps we should wait a little longer?" Aleyan suggested, not at all eager to take their battle to the next level when the guerilla tactics they were employing had work so well. 

"Nope," Mary pushed herself upright and started walking. "We can't afford to waste too much time lingering on this." 

Chris gave Aleyan a look, which told the Okanah he was free to argue with the headstrong woman if he liked but it was pointless. Once Mary made up her mind on such things, there was very little that could change it unless the reason was extremely compelling. At the moment, Aleyan's fear of failure did not fall into that category. Besides, if there was one thing Chris had learnt by now, Mary was the best military tactician he ever fought alongside of and when she directed a battle, she almost always won. Both men were quick to follow her as she proceeded to the trio of  _Roia_  steeds awaiting them. The  _Roias_  were sleek, graceful animals that were the preferred mode of travel by the Okanah.

"Why not?" Aleya asked as Mary climbed into the saddle of her steed. "We have spent weeks on guerilla attacks and it seem to be working, their numbers are dwindling rapidly. Many are dying just being in the desert." 

"Yes that is true but as I explained this to you before," Mary said with a hint of impatience. "A full frontal assault on a garrison of fresh Imperial stormtroopers would only have gotten every one in your Habasha killed."

"Will not attacking them now do the same thing?" Aleya demanded. 

 _Bad mistake_ , Chris thought as he saw Mary inhaling deeply, usually an indication her patience with her Okanah counterpart was being taxed to breaking point. The Jedi considered saving Aleyan from himself but then gave up the idea when he decided he simply enjoyed watching Mary in action too much to let the opportunity slip by. For the past weeks, Chris had observed Mary turn a crack garrison of Imperial shock troopers into a scattered, disorganized bunch of desert wanderers about to reach breaking point. He awed at the mastery of her strategy and knew the Okanah would not only survive the enemy that invaded their world, but thanks to Mary, they were going to defeat them. 

"No," Mary straightened up in her saddle glaring at the man with imperious fire in her eyes. "Look at them," she threw the binoculars clipped to her belt and allowed him to catch it before speaking again. "They're done. They've been marched to hell and back. We've worn them down. They are in no shape to mount a defense, let alone be able to withstand a full front assault at this stage. We'll wipe them off the face of Okanah because they'll have no comprehension of what hit them until its too late. However, if we wait any longer, Coruscant might wonder why their garrison has not returned any of its scheduled transmissions and might send someone to investigate, investigations like this are usually accompanied by a star destroyer. Trust me, you do not want a destroyer in Okanah space. If they choose, they'll annihilate you from orbit or turn this planet into a radioactive ball of mush out of sheer spite if they think they can recover their troops." 

Aleya's throat rippled with rings of fear at that possibility but Mary was not about to discontinue her speech just yet. "Our only chance of them defeating them is if we strike before those reinforcements come. How did you think this was going to end? I never promised you a way of defeating the Empire, just a way of solving your immediate problem. If we wipe out this garrison, we may make the Empire believe its complete failure would make a further occupation of Okanah unfeasible. The Empire is currently deploying all its forces to consolidate the worlds its been annexing, Okanah is a minor consideration at this time. They won't waste a ship trying to recover troops who are already dead and their decision making regarding Okanah will be made for the purpose of expediency. The Empire has dozens of worlds eager to the yoke where coaxium can be mined easily without the danger of local trouble but all this depends on taking care of that task force out there first." 

She made a compelling argument, Chris thought as he watched her waiting for Aleya to give her an answer even though Chris could tell she was confident of what that response would be without the benefit of telepathy to give her any special insight. In truth, Aleya had no choice but to follow Mary's lead because the Okanah had come too far too turn back now. Their open defiance was known to the Empire and unless they showed Coruscant they were a forced to be reckoned with, the Empire would run them into the ground as it did so many other worlds forced to accept its occupation.

"Alright," Aleya conceded gloomily and very much against his will and he mounted his own steed, his gaze still staring at her in a mixture of hope and fear of what Mary might bring upon his people. "We will attack. I hope you are right about this."

Mary was right about this. As Chris climbed into his steed next to hers, he could feel the strength of her conviction this was the time to act because the time was right. She had been waiting for weeks, ever since this campaign of exhausting the enemy had been put into effect. There would be no better time for their final attack then at this moment. Even Chris was convinced of that by now. For the rag tag resistance group known as the Habasha, they would never have a better opportunity to defeat an Imperial garrison. If they waited too long, the chance would slip past completely and reinforcements would come, bringing an end to any chance the Okanah might have had of surviving Imperial occupation.

"He's afraid." Chris remarked gently when Aleya broke away from them and started riding back to camp.

"I know," Mary said in understanding. "He's the youngest surviving member of the Habasha and he's scared of letting his people down. It's a big responsibility for him to have so soon. It should have been years before he was called on to make such decisions for the Okanah."

"I guess the Empire didn't give him much choice." Chris sighed feeling some measure of pity for the youthful leader.

"One makes the choices one has to," Mary replied sympathetically. "Unfortunately assuming responsibility and leadership of your people is a choice. You are either up to it or you're not. There are no in betweens."

"I suppose," Chris replied. "But some people aren't you either." He pointed out. "You need to remember that."

Mary groaned and looked at him with a frown. "I hate it when you do that you know." 

"What?" He looked at her innocently.  

"You know, making me feel bad because I might be just a tad too insensitive." 

"Me?" Chris said nonplussed. "I never do that."

"Sure you don't," she retorted dubiously.  

The sun overhead was glaring down across the sandy white landscape, baking the grains until it appeared almost like crystallized glass. Even though it seemed as if there was nothing ahead but sand dune after sand dune, the Habasha's encampment was very close by. How close would have surprised the Imperial garrison if they knew. The Habasha had been following the Imperials for as long as they had been wandering through the desert, allowing the Empire to believe they were the hunters when in fact it was the garrison who was being stalked so expertly. At least by the end of the day, the question would be settled once and for all. The Habasha was just as eager to end this as the Imperial troops sweltering under the heat.

"Vin will be glad to know we're finally moving." Chris commented, thinking about how the apprentice's disposition had been of late. They all knew what was at the heart of it but most of them had said nothing, least of all Chris who knew just how private a person Vin really was. Even though he was good natured and generally unflappable about most things, Vin considered things close to his heart a non-issue he discussed with no one. Buck Wilmington who could never keep his mouth shut when he really should know better had been on the end of a very stinging rebuke when Vin had told him in no uncertain terms to mind his own business when Buck had tried coaxing Vin to talk. 

"Yes, I've noticed he's been a little twitchy lately." Mary remarked.

"He's been twitchy ever since Alex left." Chris pointed out because it was no great secret. 

"Well I don't think she was too eager to leave him either," Mary agreed, recalling how close Vin and Alex had gotten since the operative's stay at the rebel base. "Unfortunately, she is the best covert operative we have. She couldn't stay away out of the field for too long."

Mary had to confess that she missed Alex almost as much as Vin. They had been friends for almost a lifetime and it had been good having Alex back on a day to day basis rather than the fleeting appearances they had been making in each other's lives the last few years.

"Still I don't think it will be too long before she gets back, not if the way she was looking at him was any indication."

"I have a feeling he falls for women hard." Chris responded, unwilling to pry into Vin's pysche to find out if that was true or not. Like Mary, he was intrigued by the reference Jabba had made to the lover Vin would absolutely not talk about to anyone, not even him. He remembered when Mary's husband Stephen had surfaced for a time, Vin had made some mention of pining for a former lover he could not have. Is that why Chris sometimes sensed a dead zone inside his friend nothing could penetrate? It resembled the wall he erected around his emotions about Sarah and Adam. Was Vin's experience with that past love just as tragic? 

"Of course he does," Mary agreed without hesitation, utilising female intuition that guessed things so accurately at times. "He's young, probably didn't had many opportunities to meet women when he was a slave on Tatooine and trying to forge relationships when one has been in an emotional vacuum for the first twenty years of life can be difficult."

All this without the benefit of Jedi abilities, Chris thought as he stared at Mary in affection. "You're probably right. So," he met her gaze seriously, moving to a more important subject. "We're definitely attacking today?" 

"Yes we are," Mary nodded, her tone becoming serious now that they were discussing warfare. "We don't have much time. The Imperial outpost in the Kathol Sector are probably wondering why the task force has not made its scheduled check in yet. If Kathol follows standard Imperial procedures, they'll attempt communication with the garrison to find out if the situation is nominal. If there is no response within 4.5 hours, they'll make a report to Coruscant. We cannot allow that to happen. I've already got Casey decrypting the Imperial codes from their stolen communication equipment. Once she cracks the correct security codes, we'll contact Kathol ourselves and send a false transmission that the garrison's situation is fine. We'll use the codes to delay Kathol's report to Corsucant indefinitely but for any of this to work, we have to finish the garrison today."

"Do you think the Okanah are ready for this?" Chris inquired. "I'm sensing a lot of fear from them Mary."

Mary could very well believe it and responded softly, "I've seen it but if they intend on resisting an Imperial occupation, they are going to have get blooded. I know that's insensitive but I can't think any other way. The course the Okanah has chosen for them does not give them the luxury of second chances. The Empire has them marked as hostile territory now and unless they're willing to defend it, the occupation if it comes will be brutal. If the Okanah are afraid that's not entirely a bad thing. A little healthy fear will keep them alive. I don't mean to be hard on them Chris, but I don't want to see what happened to the Wookies on Kashyyyk happen to the Okanah." 

Chris could understand that. The Wookies were now a slave race, being sold off world as a hard labor work force thanks to the Empire. The complete destruction of its society was only the first in the long list of atrocities being committed against non-human worlds across the galaxy and Okanah would be treated to the same brutality if Imperial occupation was allowed to take place on their planet. Sometimes Mary's ability to think like the Imperials made him glad he was just a Jedi.  

In no way would he ever want to be forced to think the way she did in order to lead. There were some thing even too hard for the Jedi. 

* * *

  
Vin Tanner felt like a teenager. 

Or worse yet, a rancor with a bad tooth. He could not believe how much he missed her. In fact, Vin had not been this miserable over any female since...

He could not even bring himself to say the name for fear of reopening old wounds that would only double his emotional torment at this time. The truth was Vin knew Alexandra Styles would have to leave sometime. She was a commander in the Rebel Alliance, one of their best covert operatives. She had a life that did not halt simply because she met him and yet ever since she had gone from the Siraj base, Vin could feel nothing but this unending ache in the pit of him for the want of her. The days following their return from Tatooine had been wonderful. Even though their relationship had been heated, neither had been foolish enough to rush into anything intimate and Vin tended to think that made the power of their attraction all the more intense. It was good being with someone who cared for him unconditionally and cared little for what he was or the fact he had nothing to offer her but his affection. 

Was he in love with Alex? If his reaction to her being gone the past few weeks were any indication, Vin would say,  _hell yeah_.

He was in love with her and it was good to know she felt just as strongly, that she had no secrets to keep from him and the facets of her heart was splayed openly for him to explore. Vin sat inside his tent, away from Okanah's hot sun staring at the holo-crystal with Alex's image inside of it. It was taken only days before her departure because he knew it would be all that he had to remember her by when she was gone. Despite knowing she was very good at what she did, Vin could not help worry she was living a very dangerous life. As a covert operative, garnering secrets for the Alliance, she could be discovered at any time and the casualty rate for rebels in that line of work was undeniably high. He saw her smiling back at him through the crystal and felt a stab of pain at imagining what would happen if she were taken from him.

Vin could not go through that again. 

He had almost died the first time it happened. Everything that felt anything was destroyed the day  _she_  told him to go away and leave her be. He did not think he would have survived it and barely felt anything emotionally until the day he came across Chris Larabee who with his friendship healed Vin somewhat. If Vin were to lose Alex, he did not think he would be able to recover at all. Even though their relationship was fledgling, Vin suspected how much he felt for her now was only a splinter of what could be when they were given enough time. He felt whole when she was with him and now she had gone, his heart felt as if it had been cleaved in two and she had taken one half of it with her. 

"Hey," Buck Wilmington drew the tent flap back and entered the cool confines beneath the canvas. 

Vin looked up and groaned inwardly, hoping Buck was not here to try and cheer him up again. The pilot had made it his personal business to nurse Vin through this difficult period of initial separation and Vin was nearing the point where he was either going to shoot himself or Buck, whichever came first. Buck believed his experience with the ladies as he called it, put him in excellent stead to dispense advice even though Vin made it clear he did not want it. However, a man who refused to leave Chris Larabee alone following the death of his wife and son was either in possession of a monumental death wish or a great aversion to seeing his friends suffer and thus was not easily deterred. 

"Buck." Vin tensed, waiting for the usual plethora of cheerful words telling him she would be back and that absence made the heart grow fonder or some other meaningless platitude.

However, this time Buck did neither. The big man saw Vin putting away the holo-crystal and let out a little sigh.

"Vin," he said, in a tone that was very different from the one he had used to approach Vin on previous occasions, much to the apprentice's chagrin. "You're gonna have to let her go."

"I'm fine Buck." Vin said gruffly, having no wish to discuss this. 

"No you're not." Buck retorted firmly. "If you don't want to talk about it that's up to you but you need to let her go. She loves you and she'll be back but you're no good to anyone if you let her take the best of you every time she goes." 

"I'm doing fine." Vin repeated himself but something of what Buck said was penetrating. He knew he had been difficult to cope with the last weeks since Alex left. Chris was too much of a private person himself to meddle, while Nathan and Josiah seemed reluctant to say anything because Vin made it clear that he had no wish to discuss his feelings. JD was too young to offer  _anyone_  advice but Buck Wilmington did not care. He went freely where angels feared to tread and it was one of the things that made him such a great pilot but an even better friend. 

"Vin," Buck sat down in front of him. "When Inez started going with Ezra, I never thought I would be able to stand it seeing her love someone else. I guess it ain't no secret I still felt strongly about her." 

Vin could not disagree with that. Buck's disposition had been like his was now. The pilot was openly disgruntled about Inez's relationship with Ezra even though Buck considered Ezra a friend and had no right to feel any kind of jealousy, considering his track record with the ladies since he and Inez had gone their separate ways.

"Not a very good one." Vin remarked with a smile. 

"Right," Buck laughed and continued. "I hated seeing them together but then I realised I had to let her go. She don't belong to me any more and she's certainly let me go. Now it ain't exactly the same thing with you and Alex, cause there's no hiding the fact the lady is crazy about you but you can't hold someone like her too close Vin. What she is, demands freedom. You try to rein her in and you'll just lose her. Just like she would if she tried to do the same to you. Reason you both get along so well is cause you're both something unexpected. Two kinds of different making sense together." 

"You got a way with words Buck," Vin found himself saying because Buck's reasoning did have some sort of logic to it. He always fell hard for his women and sometimes his passion overrode good sense and Alex was something wild and free, like himself he supposed. He would not want to clip her wings anymore than he would like his own hindered the same way. "Maybe you're right. It's been a long time since I've felt this way." 

"I kind of guessed that," Buck smiled, no hint of teasing or usual cockiness in his voice. "She's a beautiful woman and I'm sure she'll be back in no time but even if it is some time before you see her again, you just got to know by the way she looks at you that she loves you." 

"You think so?" Vin asked softly, his head still dancing with Alex but Buck was right. He had to start thinking straight or he was going to get himself killed; or worse yet _someone_ else. 

"She must," Buck retorted. "I mean how else can you explain her looking straight past me and going for your scrawny ass?" 

"Taste?" Vin returned with a chuckle. 

"Maybe some women are more accommodating than others," Buck teased when suddenly a voice interrupted them. 

"Hate to interrupt this intellectual conversation you two got going," Nathan Jackson remarked having caught the tail end of Buck's talk with Vin, "but Chris and Mary are back. Looks like we're going to attack." 

"Finally," Vin replied starting to rise to his feet. "Time to put those bastards out of their misery."

 "You got a strange concept of mercy, Vin." Buck frowned as he did the same. 

"Trust me," Vin gave him a look. "I grew up in a desert, nothing worse than being lost in one. We're doing them a favor."

Buck supposed Vin was right but still he would not call it a favor. When the Okanah attacked the Imperial garrison out there on the dunes, it would be a massacre, nothing less.  

Unfortunately, the Empire did not deserve anything better.


	3. Ashes of Victory

Mary Travis let her gaze sweep across the faces before her.

She knew her friends. Chris Larabee caught her attention first, he almost always did. Then came Vin Tanner astride the  _roia_  beast next to him, Nathan Jackson followed and then Josiah Sanchez. The four men were watching her closely, waiting for her to speak while the Okanah were hoping she could say something to allay their fears. It was not the first time Mary ever led men and women into the battle and she dare say it would not be the last. She was on astride her own mount, allowing the sight of all these faces to sink into memory, to give her the momentum needed to say the right words. They had to believe they would survive this or else the battle was lost before it even begun.

"For weeks we have followed the enemy," Mary started speaking and felt all eyes on her as her mount stamped its impatience on the sandy group to begin. "We have watched them shifting through the sands for us. They believed Okanah would be easy to find. They believed they were invincible because they superior to the Okanah and sooner or later they would find us. But it is later and we still elude them. We are still smoke!" As she made that statement, the Okanah mesmerized by her words nodded amongst themselves, others lifting their blast rifles over their head and cheering out in agreement of her declaration.

"Today our smoke will have flames because we will become a fire that sweeps through the desert like a scourge from hell! We will go forward and we will kill everyone wearing an Imperial uniform. We will send a message back to Coruscant that no army may take Okanah unless it is prepared to run the desert red with blood first. We will show them we will fight to the last one of us before we allow them to rule this planet. They will fight for every ounce of coaxium they wished to take from these sands before we give up. Today we come for them and we will not stop until they stop and leave Okanah to its people!"

The battle cry that followed in the wake of that stirring speech was an explosion of sound that filled the world in its entirety. Chris had to shield his thoughts to keep the overwhelming feeling of power infused in the psyche of all those present by Mary's speech from turning him insane with battle lust. However, he could not deny he was starting to see visions of glory himself as he heard her words and knew as a Jedi he should never want to kill but sometimes, it felt very good to be fighting the good fight. Vin Tanner felt the same way and turned slightly to Chris, making himself heard over the crowd as he grinned with the same kind of pleasure. "I guess you have to die sometime!"

"I guess so," Chris replied with a smile. "See you all on the other side." He said not only to Vin but also to Nathan and Josiah.

"The Force be with you all," Josiah responded, feeling just as euphoric as everyone else.

"Let's get it done!" Nathan shouted, waving his own rifle in the air, just as eager to begin.

Whether or not Mary heard all this banter was unknown to them but the rebel leader turned her steed towards the direction of the army and raised her own rifle. She was a magnificent figure astride her mount as her blond hair free from confinement blew in the dusty wind, like a banner symbolizing their cause. The sight of her leading the charge had almost as much significance over her army than her speech itself and Chris wished he could frame the moment because it certainly needed to be recorded for posterity.

"We ride!" She shouted without further a due and dug her heels into the flank of the roia's body, sending the creature surging forward in powerful gallops. No sooner than she had started riding, her army thundered forward with equal strength, galloping ahead at full stead as they rode hard towards the enemy with no idea about the storm coming for them. It was time to show the Empire worlds like Okanah would not simply sit still to be subjugated that for some, oppression was unacceptable no matter what the consequences. The Empire believed it could subjugate worlds with machinery and supposed military superiority, Mary was about to show them how misguided such a belief could truly be.

Today it was one Imperial garrison. Someday, it would be the Imperial fleet.

* * *

The first indication there was trouble came with a low rumble of power engines in the distant sky. The Imperial garrison turned their weary eyes upwards and saw nothing at first although the sound was strong and alerted everyone to its presence. Bodies lethargic with heat, shifted slowly to life, moving across the encampment as heads became to tilt upwards, staring into the blue vastness above them, trying to discern from which direction it was coming. Sensor equipment was hurriedly produced to give more accurate readings and was in mid adjustment when suddenly out of nowhere two ships appeared in the sky and swooped downwards.

The X-wing extended their wings, gun ports coming into view as the first of the two descended in need sweep that would take it right across the encampment. The enemy began to scatter, screaming orders at each other to ready artillery weapons but the orders had come to late. The X-wing was soon in position and the strafing run began. Thick bolts of blue energy exploded out of the narrow gun ports in quick succession, carving a path of destruction through the heart of the encampment. Screams followed as some bolts impacted on flesh, the others on the ground creating explosions that send bodies flying. Disarray ran rife through the camp as the enemy struggled to regroup from this deadly assault, not realizing the second craft had slipped into attack position during the confusion and was coming in for the kill.

The first X wing pulled up as the artillery fire began, ascending in a tight loop and gaining altitude as it eluded enemy fire and prepared to make another run at the encampment. Artillery batteries aimed at the one did not have time to readjust its tracking system for the secondary target as the other X-wing began a similarly devastating attack. This time its fire was not aimed at the center of the enemy camp but rather focusing on where the artillery batteries would place. Torpedoes replaced laser fire and the projectiles swooshed through the air upon ejection, fixing on its target with relentless efficiency. Artillery operators seeing the coming disaster quickly abandoned their weapons and leapt for cover as the explosion reduced the heavy combat weapons to little more than scrap. A second torpedo was launched and the remaining battery soon met a similar fate.

The attack ceased as suddenly as it had began as the camp was licking its wounds, trying to assess the destruction in lives and equipment when another sound was heard. This time, it was nowhere as easily identifiable as the loud drone made by the X-wings. This was decidedly different and had an unsteady rhythm, a sound that at first seemed like a rumble until one realised that it was merely a number of sounds spaced so closely together it was hard to distinguish one from the other. It increased in its intensity until suddenly, it was no longer a distant rumble but rather a looming presence they could feel in their bones.

No one knew who saw them first but someone obviously did because the Imperial soon found themselves staring at a landscape filled with riders thundering forward at a devastating pace. It took a few seconds to register what was happening, to understand the events of the past month had been to soften them up in the same manner one would tenderize meat being prepared for the cooking. The Imperials ran for their weapons and attempted to form some kind of battle line but it was clear there was a ring of steel enclosing them in all directions for their encampment was out in the open desert, devoid of natural landmarks to protect them. There was no chance for cover or concealment. The rebels had waited patiently until they were at their most vulnerable to attack.

And they were at their most vulnerable _now_.

Time seemed to freeze as the enemies caught sight of each other across the sandy plain and for a moment, no one seemed capable of speech. Eyes met eyes across the wide expanse of sand and space, a myriad of thought flickering through the minds of all present as they understood for a brief instance they were trapped in the same place of not knowing what would come next. Somewhere beyond time and space the event was already recorded in the pages of a book no one would read. All it required of them now was to play the part.

The moment lasted for just a split second but when it ended, the call to charge was made and the riders on their mounts thundered forward with an explosive rumble of sound. In the encampment, the Imperial rallied to form a firing line and they did so while seeing the approach of the hundred of riders, never allowing their nerve to falter even though lesser trained armies caught so much by surprise would be running for their lives by now. An uneven battle line was forming with blast rifles taking aim at the oncoming rebel force, soldiers steadying their weapons and waiting to fire when their targets came into range.

Chris Larabee saw Mary surging ahead, taking the Okanah forward. She was a stronger rider than he had thought and was surprised by just how much ahead she was. As she galloped forward, leading the charge, blond hair trailing behind her, Chris had never seen her more magnificent. If he were a painter, he would be recording the image of her on canvas, immortalizing her forever. However, he brushed such romantic notions aside for keeping her mortal at least for today, forcing his steed forward, Chris came along side her and Mary shifted her gaze enough to meet his eyes. Her lips pulled back into a smile, as if it were a challenge to keep up.

Then the first sounds of gunfire ripped through the air and anything in the moment that might have caused Mary to smile was driven away as she faced forward and unsheathed her weapon with one hand, while the other still clutched the reins. Like wise, Chris did the same, only it was a lightsabre that he wielded, not a blaster. The first wave of fighters all reacted the same, removing their weapons and creating a barrage of firepower, clearing the path for those behind them as they closed the distance between themselves and the Imperial. The bolts of energy fired met their marks. Chris could see bodies collapsing to the ground as the line facing them was assaulted.

It was not to say the Empire was the only ones suffering casualties. Even as the Okanah led by Mary Travis advanced upon the Imperial task force, Chris could see riders being unsaddled as they tumbled into the sand, the victim of return fire. He himself was deflecting bolts of energy with his light saber. If it were not for the fact he was a Jedi with abilities allowed his reflexes the speed needed for such a task, he might have well been one of the casualties. Mary was keeping her head low but still doing her damnedest to break the line of defense mounted by the Imperial stormtroopers. Next to her Josiah Sanchez and Nathan Jackson was doing their best to help. As the distance closed rapidly between themselves and the enemy, Chris could see the tactic working. Some of the Imperials were breaking off and retreating. Trying to reform the line deeper in the camp.

It was a gesture of eminent defeat.

The body of riders protected by the front line defenders now spread out, forming a right ring that surrounded the camp. The battle line forged by the Imperials was more or less coming undone as the gap between soldiers and riders narrowed until soon; they had converged into chaos of violence. Chris saw Mary remaining in the saddle as she fired at the stormtroopers on the ground. She was fighting fiercely and he knew for a fact how deadly she was with a blaster. She was almost as good as Vin. Almost. Chris saw a stormtrooper taking aim at the lovely blond commander and immediately put his lightsabre in between her and the bolt of energy that would have taken her head off her shoulders. He had no idea how she knew through the cacophony of sound but she turned sharply to him for a moment and realised what he had done. For a moment, the self-assured features of the commander evaporated and the woman surfaced, telling him wordlessly not to die until they could be alone so she could thank him .

"Chris on your right!" Vin called out and saw Vin Tanner crying out in warning.

Chris blinked and his senses returned to his superior alertness although he was chagrinned his mind had been so distracted. He deflected the shot that would have knocked him off his roia and saw Vin forcing his mount through the bodies to take a swipe at the person who had fired at his friend and mentor. Chris watched Vin as his padwan learner cut a swathe through the Imperials who dared to come up against him. His lightsabre was a zigzagging streak of energy, delivering death behind high-pitched screams as the formidable blade cut through bone and flesh. Chris found himself mesmerized at the former bounty hunter's skill and saw the enemies that fell beneath the hooves of his steed. Suddenly, he was hit with something powerful, a waking dream as it were. It was not unusual for the Jedi to experience such things but the last time he had sensed something so powerful was before he had found himself facing Darth Vader...

* * *

_Terror was pounding his heart as he watched from the high place._

_The apprentice was swinging wildly, trying to defend himself against a master whose power was beyond the imagination of even the most powerful of the Jedi. The younger man was defending himself with every ounce of strength he had, meeting the more experienced combatant blow for blow. His fear should have made him useless but he was controlling it. Still Chris could feel his terror struggling to remain suppressed, it was bursting at the edges of control, demanding release with each desperate attempt to block the strikes coming at him. He stumbled to the platform, sweat glistening visibly on his skin, frightened eyes staring at the black mask that regarded him with a mixture of amusement and admiration._

_"I feel your fear." The raspy electronic voice spoke._

_"Go to hell!" The apprentice screamed, scrambling away and seeing the blade coming down at him just in time to block the blow, although the force of it drove his lightsabre almost to his throat. Lashing out with anger, he slashed his blade wildly, pushing the other out of his face so that he could get to his feet._

_"Give me what I want and I will let you leave." The black mask speaks to the young man, oozing seduction in each word. "I will even let you take her with you."_

_"NO!" The apprentice shouts in defiance. Not because of outrage at the offer but at the avenue of escape offered, the temptation he would be forced to fight in order to remain true to himself and his oath as Jedi._

_"I WANT MY SON!" The dark lord roars and his voice fills the world like a clap of thunder._

_"You'll never get him!" The apprentice shouts back, feeling some measure of exultation at being able to sense the Sith Lord's frustration with him. "I will die before I tell you anything about Skywalker!"_

_"I won't kill you!" The dark lord warns and pulls back. "I'll kill those that you love. I'll kill HER."_

_Something inside the apprentice snaps and even as Chris watches, a voyeur in this waking dream, he tries nonetheless to shout the warning he knows the apprentice will not hear. He watches as the dark side in full vent comes up and swallows his young friend and the power it gives the padwan makes him attack the Emperor's dark avenger with ruthless accuracy. Lightsabres clang powerfully against each other, echoing through the place where the battle is being waged but Chris senses something inside his friend. Perhaps an understanding he was being led down a path he may not survive even if he does kill the evil one before him and it makes him pause. The apprentice halts and he remembers the Jedi does not attack, he defends, even against a Sith Lord._

_Unfortunately, his ferocious attack inspired one of equal viciousness from his opponent and the blows that come from the dark lord are perhaps the most powerful the man has delivered. Soon it is the apprentice who is in retreat and suddenly, in what seems to be a frozen moment of time, Chris's eyes widens as he sees the killing blow swing into existence. Chris opens his mouth to scream, to warn the padwan of what is coming but the young man is too inexperienced to be able to see and like a terrible play Chris does not want to watch, the nightmare unfolds before him reaching its bloody conclusion._

_The apprentice turns perhaps realizing on some subconscious level the danger but does not keep the blade from penetrating his skin. He screams, possibly for the first time in his entire life, as the excruciating agony slices through his arm until all that remains between it and the rest of his body is a single twist of meat. Blood spills forward like a red tide and he falls to the floor as the dark lord's blade lowers, the breathing behind the mask slowing as the padwan lies on the steel deck, a spread of crimson cradling him._

_Chris could only scream "VIN!"_

* * *

"CHRIS! WATCH OUT!"

There is pain and this time is very real indeed. The blaster bolt caught Chris Larabee square in the chest. He heard Mary screaming as he toppled from the saddle and hit the sand, face first. Grains stung his eyes, as his cheek was rubbed raw against the surface. The roia beasts around him panic. Discipline and conditioning taught them never to trample a rider and he hears their confusion in the feet that stamp about awkwardly in an effort to avoid him. Around him the sounds of blaster fire was still ringing in his ears but Chris paid little attention to it. As the sand became wet beneath him, he did not have to see to know it was his own blood flowing through the ground. He was dying and he knew it. He tried to see Mary but his eyes were becoming foggy and came to the realisation he had a very short time to act or he would never see her again. Some how that made passing out of this life completely unacceptable.

Taking a deep breath even though the action send slivers of pain through him, Chris Larabee closed his eyes and let the Force take him into its warm comforting arms away from the blistering Okanah sun. He felt its cool against his skin and thought as his mind slipped into the darkness, that the Force had the same comforting scent as Mary and Sarah.

* * *

 

The battle was over but no one was happy about it.

Aleya and the Okanah were celebrating their victory over the Imperial task force and despite themselves, the members of the Rebel Alliance could not take their victory from them. It was a great achievement to come up against the might of the Imperial war machine and survive. The Okanah deserved their victory and while none of the off worlders would dampen their celebration, neither could they take part in it. At the moment, Nathan Jackson was within the tent, utilizing his skills as a medtech on Chris Larabee who had been seriously injured during the battle. As of yet, they had no indication whether or not he would survive the wound inflicted and nerves were becoming frayed all around.

"I should have been watching his back!" Vin Tanner growled as he paced the ground outside the tent. "I mean I should have done something!"

"Vin," Josiah said gently. "It wasn't your fault. We were in the middle of a battle, there was no way you could watch out for Chris and yourself."

"He's right junior," Buck Wilmington added. Buck was just as angry as Vin about not being there for his oldest friend in the world but he knew enough to assuage the younger man's guilt. "You were busy and Chris isn't some wet behind the ears kid, he's a Jedi whose been taking care of himself a hell of a lot longer than you, I might add. If he couldn't stop himself from getting hurt, chances are neither could you."

"I know that," Vin muttered angrily. "But he just stood there for a whole minute! You didn't see it." He tried to explain to the others the daze Chris had experienced just before he had been shot. "He was somewhere else."

"Maybe it's a Jedi thing." JD ventured a guess. "I seen him have them kind of flashes before. Maybe he saw something that stopped him from paying attention."

"I should have been able to sense it then." Vin replied not about to absolve himself that easily. "I could tell he was someplace else but I couldn't see what he was seeing. Goddamn it, I should have seen it!"

"Vin," Mary Travis spoke up for the first time. She had been sitting in silence unable to savor what should have been a spectacular victory for her because the one person she wanted to share it with might die and that was something she could not even begin to face, let alone imagine happening for real. "Please don't do this. Chris certainly would not condone it  and I will not either. We are in a war and people die, those are the rules. It's not anyone's fault. It's just the way things happen. Chris would tell you that himself if he were here. Sometimes the way of the Force is hard to understand."

"How can you say that?" Vin snapped at her. "You're supposed to care.." Vin halted himself before he could say anything further but the pain in her eyes was evident and so was the intent of that scathing remark.

"Vin," Buck rose to his feet immediately. "Cool off." The threat in the pilot's voice was unmistakable.

"I'm sorry Mary," Vin apologized immediately, feeling like the fool he did for allowing his emotions to get the better of him  _again_. It was obvious by the look in Mary's eyes she was barely hanging on herself and he crossed the space between them to place his hand on her cheek. "Hey I'm a jerk alright?" He tried to smile. "I know how you feel about him and if he pulls through this, its going to be no small part because of you."

The others pulled away a little, allowing the duo a little privacy since it appeared they had a little fence mending to do. Vin was grateful for the gesture and reminded himself to thank Buck later on for keeping him from behaving like a stubborn nerf.

"Thank you Vin," she swallowed, allowing the tough mask to lower just enough for him to see the fear in her eyes at losing Chris. "It wasn't your fault you know," she said softly. "I saw him fade too and there was nothing you could have done."

"I just wished I understood it more sometimes," Vin confessed. "Being a Jedi is not something I wanted. I met Chris and suddenly it just seemed like the right thing to. Master Yoda said I was too old to be trained even though I had the mind for it but I wonder if he was right. Maybe it is too late for me to become a Jedi."

"Don't say that," Mary countered. "Chris is so proud of how far you've come. We all are."

"I don't think he would be too proud of me today," Vin sighed unhappily.

"Just because you're a Jedi doesn't mean you're not allowed to feel Vin," Mary said sounding very much like the wise rebel commander she was. "The Jedi make mistakes too. If they didn't I would not feel comfortable around them."

Vin stared into her blue grey eyes and smiled warmly. "You know something Commander Travis, you are the best thing that's happen to all of us."

"All of you?" Mary's brow wrinkled in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Before you came into our lives, we were drifters. Me, Chris, Buck, JD, Ezra, even Nathan and Josiah, we didn't really have a place or a direction until we met you. You gave us that and then you gave us each other. We became seven because of you Mary and sometimes, I think we stay seven thanks to you. You give us purpose and for a bunch like us who never had it before, that's quite something."

It was possibly the nicest compliment she ever received and her emotions, already on a ragged edge seemed to tip over with that. "Oh Vin," she felt the tears spilling down her cheeks. "If anything happens to Chris, I don't know if I can go on. I can't do it alone."

"Sure you can," Vin responded gently taking her into his arms. "That's why he cares so much about you, because you go on when no one else can."

They held each other for a while, saying nothing but leaving those words to swirl around them as they waited for news. It came what felt like a lifetime later, when Nathan appeared through the tent flap and drew the rest of the seven to him like the fireflies to the flame.

"Is he going to be alright?" Mary asked, still in Vin's arms.

"Yes," Nathan nodded. "I got the droids working on him now but he's going to be okay. It could have gone the other way though." The captain responded, unprepared to delude anyone on how close Chris Larabee had come to dying. "If it weren't for that Jedi healing state they go into when they're hurt bad, he might have died."

"Thank the Force." Josiah sighed.

"I knew he was too tough to kill!" Buck laughed and expressed his own happiness by ruffling JD's hair, a gesture the young man hated and immediately swatted Buck's hand away.

"You see," Vin looked at Mary. "I told you."

"Yeah," the lovely blond laughed. "You're pretty smart when you're not being a jerk."

"Thanks," Vin retorted with a grin.


	4. The Governor

To be the Imperial Governor of the planet Commenor was unlike anything else.

Commenor, like Alderaan, Corellia and finally Coruscant made up what was known as the Galactic Centre. It was from these worlds the earliest institution of galactic unity was founded and most of the civilizations spawned from them were usually of the oldest races in the galaxy. Commenor was no exception. It had been a Republic stronghold and now under the iron fist of its latest serving Imperial Governor, it had become a focal point for the Imperial war machine. To look out a window upon the Commenor Prime, the largest city on the planet and its capital, was to look out into the face of the fading Republic as evolution turned it slowly into the model of Imperial efficiency. It was a society of excess, mechanized, urbanized and completely confident in its superiority over lesser worlds. Its citizens not merely believed Palpatine was their Emperor but they absorbed his politics and the grandeur of his vision for the Empire like it was an elixir that would give them immortality.

It was a heavily guarded bastion of Imperial power. For the man who controlled it, who belonged to an elite inner circle, shrouded in secrecy, composed of other regional Imperial governors, Grand Moffs, Grand Admirals and one Sith Lord, it was to be in the reach of unspeakable power. The inner circle of the Imperial Security Elite was the _real_  power of Palpatine's rule. Even though the masses believed the Imperial Senate made the decisions about the Empire, those in the Rebel Alliance and the higher echelons of Imperial power knew the body was a paper tiger. It was a showcase to lull the insecure into the belief some semblance of the old order still remained. The Security Elite were bound by their ambition to serve Palpatine and they did it well.

William Richmond had never chose to become part of this circle but there were forces at work in his life that gave him little choice but to play the role of the loyalist. Whatever was asked of him, he did and in doing so, hid away his own secrets although sometimes he hoped perhaps the Emperor  _did_  know the truth and considered him valuable enough not to mind. That thought had comforted Richmond for a long time. He sustained his belief by performing his best for the Empire even though there were many nights when sleep did not come easy and there would be a day of reckoning no amount of power or money would ever put right.

Unfortunately for him, the day of reckoning he hoped would come when he had shed his mortal existence made its appearance rather prematurely. When he was told the super star destroyer _Executor_ had slipped into orbit above the planet, Richmond knew there was only one explanation for its presence in Commenor space. The _Executor_ was the pride of Imperial fleet, the first of the super star destroyers to emerge from the Sluis Van shipyards that drove the dreadnought class warships into obsolescence. It was virtually undefeatable by any other warship currently in the space lanes and the craft was well suited in its disposition for its master.

If the _Executor_ was orbiting Commenor then so was Darth Vader.

An honor guard had been hastily assembled to greet Vader's shuttle when it arrived on Commenor. Imperial troops stood at attention, flanking the length of carpet that made up a walkway for Vader when he stepped off the ramp of his ship to be greeted by Richmond and his entourage. Richmond tried to present an image of complete confidence at this unexpected visit even though inside he was quivering in fear. Vader did not make personal visits nor was he sent on trivial errands. If he was here, it was a matter of great importance and while ambition told Richmond to take advantage of the opportunity, something inside him was uneasy. As he watched the gleaming white-hulled Imperial shuttle sweep into the landing bay, he tried to calm himself because his fear would show to Vader and he could not afford that. He could see the tension of his junior officers as they awaited the arrival of the Sith Lord and for singular moment, shared more in common with them then their entire service together.

The ship hovered over the steel deck briefly before lowering onto the floor with a loud metal clang that seemed to make everyone react involuntarily with a slight startle. Richmond felt beads of sweat running down the side of his face and forced himself to push away his fear, remembering the lessons taught a long time ago about how to deal with Jedi. It had been too long since he had any practical need for that knowledge and feared his lack of usage would not allow him to give much resistance when the dark lord cast his obsidian gaze upon him. The shuttle door lifted and the first two occupants to exit the craft immediately took flanking positions next to the doorway as they waited for the third to emerge. Richmond did not wait and was already striding forward.

He had just reached the ramp when the cloaked master of the _Executor_ made his appearance. In truth, Richmond had heard the heavy breathing that always preceded Vader's appearance before actually seeing the Sith Lord himself. Richmond sucked in his breath as he saw Vader raise his helmeted head and stared directly at him. Although he could not see Vader's eyes, Richmond knew he was being scrutinized behind the masked visage of the Emperor's most trusted henchman.

"Lord Vader, this an unexpected pleasure." Richmond greeted politely, trying to inject as much enthusiasm into his voice as he could muster.

"I'm sure it is." Vader said dryly, knowing perfectly well that it was a lie. "I am here on important business Governor," Vader wasted no time as he walked down the length of carpet. The troops making up the honor guard snapped to attention immediately but no one was terribly disappointed when Vader continued past them.

Richmond struggled to keep up but Vader was a tall man and he was capable of out pacing Richmond with ease. "Important business?"

"We will discuss it in your office," Vader returned briskly and strode out of the hangar.

"Yes Lord Vader," Richmond swallowed glancing at his junior officer's in anxiousness and saw in their faces that none of them envied him at this moment.

* * *

The governor's office was located in the tallest spire of the imperial city.

The facade of glass gave its occupant a picturesque view of the Commenor Prime while its lofty heights ensured privacy. Richmond demanded his desk faced the windows so he could see the fluidity of the city and watched the hover cars, skimmers and transports zipping back and forth across the sky. There were moments when he basked in the splendor of it, in periods where he paused long enough in his day to day activities to appreciate it. On this occasion, the beauty was lost upon him and upon his visitor who barely gave the spectacular vista the merest hint of a glance when they entered the confines of the room.

Vader did not waste time getting to the point once they were alone and when the doors closed behind them after the departure of his personal guards, Richmond found himself facing the dark lord and his reason for being here.

"We know about your wife Governor." Vader stated abruptly.

Richmond's eyes widened and felt the air suddenly evaporate from the room because he could not breathe. "Charlotte?"

"We know what she is." Vader retorted, watching Richmond closely.

The governor was breathing hard and managed to make it behind his desk before he lowered himself heavily into the chair. "How long have you known?" He managed to ask. There was no point denying it. If Vader was here then it was too late for anything. It was over.

"That does not matter," the Sith Lord returned. "We do and that is enough."

"What are you going to do?" Richmond swallowed.

"Imperial troops are already on the way to Atura to retrieve her. My presence here is merely as a courtesy to you." Vader replied, attempting to sound magnanimous but his voice made that his words all the more sinister.

"Please," Richmond started to beg. "I've been a loyal servant of the Emperor. Don't hurt her. She's harmless to you."

"Her destiny has been written Governor." Vader said mercilessly. "I am here to consider yours."

"Mine?" He exhaled loudly.

"The fact you are a loyal member of the Emperor's circle is the only reason why you are still retaining your position and I might add your head. The Emperor does not squander resources and you can be forgiven for alliances made before the change of the politics of the realm. You married her before the establishment of the new order. The Emperor understands matters of the heart can make a man act out of his own best interests and your conduct in his service shows you are a loyal Imperial citizen whose only crime is your wife. The Emperor does not want to lose a valuable resource because of your past affiliations. If that minor matter were removed, there is no reason why you cannot retain your position as Governor."

"My wife..." Richmond muttered, aware of what was being offered.

"Listen carefully Governor Richmond," Vader leaned in close. "You have no choice in her destiny. You may yet save yours but I will have your answer right this minute or you will not leave this room alive. Do we understand each other?"

Suddenly, he felt something pressing against his throat, invisible fingers that began pressing down on his larynx, forcing the air out of his lungs. All sound drained from his ears except that heavy breathing, electronically emitted that sounded like the death choking him. Richmond tried prying free the fingers he could not see but knew was there around his throat. His head began to swim and he could no longer remain focussed. He started to slump forward when just as abruptly as he had began, the invisible talons disappeared and his freedom was exclaimed with a loud gasp as he fell forward against the table.

Breathing hard, he took hungry breaths of air until once again, he became aware of Vader's presence. Raising his eyes to the Sith Lord with no illusions as to his fate should he refuse, Richmond finally spoke.

"Alright," he conceded. "What do you want me to do?"

* * *

For six years, Atura had been her hiding place.

As refuges went, it was a pleasant enough location. It sat in the heart of the Corporate Sector where money could buy virtually anything and in this instance it had bought privacy. Atura was a rustic world, forgotten but beautiful. It had one major city, which was mostly for the purpose of housing the inevitable commercial center that emerged from the development of any large space station. However the majority of the planet was still covered in large oceans and undeveloped continents. It was place the rest of the galaxy seemed to have forgotten because there were other worlds of similarly idyllic beauty closer to the galactic core and people who came to the Corporate Sector were uninterested in beauty but rather profit. Atura had no commercial value in ore or precious metals and was thus largely ignored.

Charlotte Richmond did not mind this one bit. Noise and crowds made her uncomfortable. She resided in a house befitting a governor's wife hiding from the world at the edge of the Eliandera coast. The house sat on top of a cliff overlooking the Northern Sea far away from the populated center of Atura, She had a small ship which she utilized to collect supplies and make the occasional visit to town when the isolation became too much for her, which it rarely did. In her private sanctuary, Charlotte raised her young daughter Lilith with her companion Maria in virtual solitude and had been quite content with the course her life had taken, though there were moments in the small hours of the night, where she wished secretly for things that could never be.

Her husband made monthly visits to her and though she would have liked to have seen him more, there was never any doubt in her mind he loved her despite the difficulties they faced in their marriage through the years. Charlotte loved Will Richmond and knew he had sacrificed much because of her. He walked a fine line in the real world and if anyone should discover the truth, the consequences to him would be dire. Charlotte herself had no fears of death but she did worry for her daughter just as she knew Will certainly did. Lilith was the reason they endured the separation, why she remained hidden away from the public eye. Lilith was only five years old and she was the centre of Charlotte's world. Charlotte would endure anything and had sacrificed much already to ensure her daughter lived. For her child, she had become a shell of a person because to be herself was to condemn Lilith and Charlotte would not risk her life for anything.

"My Lady," Maria emerged from the house and called to her as she was teaching Lilith her lesson in their garden beneath the delicious afternoon sun.

Maria had been her friend and companion for as long as Lilith had been in this world. She had found Maria as a teenager, scraping a living in the slums of Arturo and given the girl a home as well as something of an education. Those who met Maria would never believe there was a time that she was far from the exotic beauty she was now, with just a hint of mystery in her manner to indicate she was not all she appeared. For what Charlotte had done for Maria, she earned the girl's undying gratitude and unswerving loyalty. Charlotte was confident that gratitude would ensure Maria would protect Lilith if the situation ever required it.

"There is a communication from the governor." Maria announced as she joined Lilith and Charlotte on the lawn.

"It must be important." Charlotte stated, immediately stopping what she was doing and getting up to her feet. Will seldom communicated unless it was absolutely essential. Normally they relied upon data crystals carrying long letters to each other for their personal correspondence. Will did not use conventional forms of communication unless there was a good reason for it. Charlotte was suddenly overtaken by feelings of anxiety as she hurried into the house. The com unit was kept in her study and when she reached the digitized screen, the grave expression on Will's face revealed just how much her fears were justified.

"Charlotte." Will smiled through light years of distance between them. "Thank the Force they haven't reached you yet."

Charlotte's heart stopped cold in her chest. "What do you mean?" She asked fearfully.

"Charlotte, they know." 

Charlotte closed her eyes and felt the sirens screaming in her ears. For a moment, she was overwhelmed with a sensation of such dread, she thought she might double over in panic and retch there. Somehow, she managed to spare herself that humiliation. Pulling herself even though this was what she had feared for six long years, Charlotte composed herself because she had to remain strong for Lilith's sake. Taking a deep breath, it was a few seconds before she could trust herself to answer him.

"How?" She managed to ask.

"I don't know." He answered wearily, his eyes revealing to her he had wracked his mind with that same question and had come to no satisfactory answer. "But they know. I had Vader come to Commenor today. He came to my office Charlotte and said he knew what you were."

Vader! Charlotte felt a resurgence of panic once more. Why of all people did he have to be the one? "Are they coming?" She managed to ask, her voice little more than a soft whisper.

"Yes," he nodded, making no effort to pad his answer. The time was past for that. They were dealing only in truths now and the expediency of quick answers was required, not sentimental efforts to make the news any easier for her to bear because nothing he said could accomplish that. "He sent a destroyer to Atura. It's on its way there now."

"We have to leave." Charlotte muttered, the need to flee impressing itself upon her brain as she thought quickly about what she had to do.

"Charlotte he doesn't want you." Will said suddenly.

Charlotte stared at the screen sharply. "What do you mean he doesn't want me?" Subconsciously she knew what the answer to her question was before she had even asked it but the horror of the situation refused to let her see the truth until it was presented in all its stark reality.

"He wants Lilith. He thinks that she's young enough to use. Charlotte's the star destroyer is coming to take her, not you."

"NO!" Charlotte shouted. "I won't let it happen!" Her fists shook in rage which each word spoken. "She's my baby! I won't let them turn her into some kind of monster!"

"You have to get off Atura, Charlotte," he said, nodding in agreement. "You have to leave _now_."

"Yes," she nodded, her mind reeling. If a destroyer was on its way to Atura then they had very little time. Vader would not have tipped his hand by revealing his intentions to Will unless he was very certain her husband could not do anything to thwart his plans by warning her. The fact that Will was still alive showed how confident Vader was in acquiring her. She had to go somewhere with Lilith beyond Vader's reach, beyond the reach of the Empire. Suddenly it came to her in a flash of inspiration or desperation, she was uncertain of which, knowing only that it was the answer she needed.

"Will, we have to go the rebellion." 

"Charlotte's that's treason." Will gasped.

"I know Will," she swallowed. "You have to abandon us while you still can. I don't want to you to pay for my sins."

"Charlotte I love you, I could not abandon you or our daughter." Will pleaded and she saw the sorrow in his eyes and also guilt because somewhere in the back of his mind he had considered it. She did not blame him of course. He had always been an ambitious man, she knew that before she married him. But she also knew while at times appeared as if he was thinking of his own interests, Charlotte knew he was fortifying his own position with the Emperor to ensure her safety and that of Lilith's.

"Will you must." Charlotte said softly. "You've stood by me, even when I didn't deserve your love. Don't think I don't know how much that must have hurt you but I have always been sure of that and so you must be sure of mine. I won't let you suffer because of us. Not any more. You have to let us go Will. Now."

He blinked and tears glistened in his eyes. "Do you even know how to contact the rebellion?"

"No," Charlotte shook her head in response. "The Rebellion is after my time. The people whom I call friends who might know are all dead now."

"Then how will you reach them?" Will asked.

"I know someone who might be able to get me in contact with a member of the Rebellion." Charlotte offered cautiously.

"Who?" He looked at her, sensing there was some type of reluctance in her voice.

"Its better that you don't know." Charlotte replied automatically. "If we manage to escape the destroyer that's coming for us then Vader will know you are his only link to us. He'll shred your mind for any information he can use to his advantage. I will not risk your life that way."

"It's not a risk." Will responded sadly. "I love you and I love Lilith. I'd die first before I let him hurt either of you."

Charlotte touched his image on the screen and knew he meant it. "I know that my love but I still won't let you be harmed if it can be avoided."

"How will I know if you're both safe?" He asked as he saw it was time for them to sever their connection.

"You and I share the same soul Will," Charlotte smiled. "We carry each other wherever we go. You'll know when we are safe, I promise you that."

"I'll hold you to it." Richmond whispered. "You better start packing." 

"Goodbye." She said softly and hoped it was not forever, when the screen returned to static.

He was right, there was not much time to lose. Charlotte immediately hurried out of the study and saw Maria standing at the door, sensing something was wrong and waiting in expectation for Charlotte to tell her what it was.

"We have to go." Charlotte said firmly. "They're coming."

"Oh no my lady!" Maria exclaimed, her hand covering her mouth in shock. "How much time do we have?"

"Not much at all," she returned abruptly as she hurried to Lilith's room to pack her daughter's things for their hasty departure. "We have to leave now."

"Where are we going?" Maria asked.

Charlotte paused and let the disjointed plan in her head suddenly take cohesive form. "We will go somewhere I can make a scrambled transmission to Coruscant."

"Coruscant?" The faithful young woman stared at her mistress and her friend. "What is there?"

"An old bounty hunter named Crawl." Charlotte responded softly, allowing herself to think of the one person she had tried to forget the last six years and was certain, he would have tried equally hard to forget her. "A friend of mine used to work for him. He may know how to contact Vin."

"Is this Vin someone you can trust?" Maria asked.

"Yes," Charlotte said with a small smile as she savored his name on her tongue. She had not even wanted to speak of him since she was forced to send him away. "You could say that."


	5. Vision

It was strange how easily Chris Larabee had become apart of Vin Tanner’s life.

When Vin had first stepped off the ramp intending to bring in the bounty on the Jedi’s head, he had no idea he had reached a turning point in his life. So many things changed for him since that fateful day Vin no longer recognised the life he once led in comparison to what he had now. He was a Jedi apprentice at a time when it was exceedingly dangerous to be one. The Jedi were fading into the mists as Chris often said sadly, usually when they had shared one too many drinks and his master was particularly somber. Even though Chris was a Jedi, he still had such moments of sorrow where not even the Force was able to ease the pain of a grieving heart. Though such instances were becoming rarer as the days tumbled by; Vin nevertheless shared Chris's anguish at seeing not only the end of a great institution but the passing of an entire way of life.

Chris called them the last of the old Jedi Order. There would be a new order, Chris had said; but it was unclear whether he or Vin would be apart of it. Their destiny was written together and yet differently, Chris had stated enigmatically during one of his more inebriated and reflective moods and Vin was not entirely sure he was comfortable with that. He knew he was one of a handful of Jedis still left in the galaxy that had not been hunted down and murdered by Vader. Vin did not even consider himself that. At this time he was more appropriately an apprentice. Though Chris did not speak of it, there was usually some defining moment, some baptism by fire or blood all Padwan learners had to experience before they become a real Jedi.

Vin wondered if this was the moment for him.

He stared at Chris lying on the bed in the medical centre, still locked in his Jedi healing trance, giving aid to the medical droids who tended to him while tubes flooded his body with life giving nutrients. The wound was severe indeed and while he still lived, his recovery would take time, even if he had kept himself alive using the Force. A normal person would have been killed instantly or damn near close to it. Somehow Chris managed to put himself into the healing trance before the point of no return. After Nathan had saved his life on the planet following the Battle of Okanah, as its natives had so grandiosely called the skirmish with the Imperial task force, Chris was transported to the _Purgatory’s_ sophisticated medical centre to receive more expert help.

Vin knew subconsciously the bond he shared with Chris was strong. From the moment they met, there was something between them beyond the ability of words to explain. A kinship perhaps in the recognition that each man had exactly what the other needed to heal. Knowing Vin allowed Chris to open his heart once more, to learn how to care about people again after the devastating loss of his wife and son. By the same token, Chris had taught Vin it was not a sin to want to belong and he was entitled to find a place for himself as anyone did. Their friendship opened up new possibilities for both of them, brought Chris face to face with a future with Mary Travis and given Vin a sense of understanding about himself he never had in his life.

Now Chris was lying in the limbo of the trance, Vin felt like part of him was there too.

He stared at Chris in that bed, like a lost child not knowing what to do. He tried to remind himself he was someone before he met Chris Larabee but the truth was, Vin didn’t like that person too much and found himself lingering in this room during most of the journey back to the rebel base on Siraj. The droids and Nathan said that Chris would be fine. Even Mary made mention of it once or twice herself when she saw just how deeply his fears for the Jedi ran; but Vin could not shake the feeling of apprehension because he could not imagine what he would do if Chris Larabee were gone from his life. It would be like losing a part of himself and he knew without the Jedi, he would always feel something was missing if he were not there at the man’s side, watching his back in times of trouble. 

"Vin," he suddenly heard a voice next to him and jumped.  

"Josiah." Vin muttered in surprise, realising his thoughts must be troubled indeed if he allowed the former Republic Senator to enter the room without noticing it. 

"How is he?" The big man asked as he lowered himself into one of the seats provided for visitors. 

"Still out of it." Vin sighed. "I can feel his healing but it's all on some subconscious level I can’t describe." 

"It's alright," Josiah smiled faintly. "You’re still pretty new at this." 

"I know," Vin gave him a sidelong glance. "Sometimes I wonder if I’m not over my head, that maybe things were simpler if I’d just stayed the way I was." 

"The Force abhors stagnancy." Josiah pointed out. "Living creatures must evolve, that is the nature of things." 

Vin cracked half a smile. "You're better at this then I am. Maybe you should be the Jedi." 

Josiah let out a small chuckle and then added in a more serious tone. "When I was a boy, that was all I ever wanted to be."

"Really?" Vin stared at him. Josiah was such an able diplomat it was hard to imagine him as anything else.  

"Yes," Josiah nodded; remembering back to those bitter sweet childhood memories of the dreams left behind or worse yet, never realised. "I used to dream about it and waited for the day when it would be my turn to take the Jedi testing."

Vin could not even begin to imagine what that must have been like. He could not picture the selection of future Jedi being so clinical. He thought of young children put to the test, their whole life decided in that one defining moment. Chris once remarked had Vin been born in the Republic, he would have been tested and singled out for training early because the Force was strong in him. But he wasn't born in the Republic, Vin thought bitterly. He was born on Tatooine, a wretched hive of scum and villainy as a slave, never knowing his father, barely knowing his mother before she was taken. What right did someone like him have to be called a Jedi? 

"So what happened?" Vin asked. 

"The Force was not strong in me." Josiah replied with an expression on his face that indicated clearly he had become accustomed to this disappointment in his life. "So that was it. I just didn't have it in me to become a Jedi." 

"I'm sorry," Vin found himself saying. 

"Don't be," Josiah responded automatically. "I was disappointed for a while but then I continued with my life, I saw the galaxy, married a good woman and lost her and I was a representative of the Republic." 

"You were married Josiah?" Vin exclaimed, not knowing that about Josiah.  

"A long time ago," Josiah nodded, trying to think about his wife. She entered his life in his youth and disappeared from it just as quickly. Although he still missed her, it was not so difficult to talk about her now she was years lost in his past. His memories of her were sweet and there were other loves that had been since her, Maude Standish being one although Ezra seemed to always get pale whenever the subject of their past affiliation came up. 

"I didn't mean to pry." Vin remarked, feeling a little embarrassed for surfacing such a painful memory. 

"You didn't," Josiah reassured him and then glanced at Chris who was still lying motionlessly on the bed. "So are you alright?" 

"I'm just a little on edge." Vin confessed. "I just realised how big a part of my life Chris has become. I can almost always feel him in my mind on some level. The last time he was in this healing trance, I hadn't even started my training so I couldn't sense him being gone but now, I have this empty place inside me where he used to be. I know it sounds strange." 

"Not really," Josiah answered. "Anyone who has seen you and Chris together understands that there's some kind of bond there. We all recognise that." 

Vin was not certain how to feel about Josiah's statement but took it in the spirit it was given, as an effort to let him know he was not alone and that his anxiety was not unfounded. "I guess I'll be glad when he finally comes out of it." 

Suddenly he felt something in the back of his consciousness, a feeling that seemed to tug at the edge of awareness, not really probing but making itself felt even though its ability to do so was weak. It was a familiar sensation and Vin immediately rose to his feet without saying another word and made it in two easy strides to the side of Chris’s bed. Josiah looked at him in puzzlement at first before realizing what it was that had inspired the young apprentice to react so strongly. 

"Chris." Vin said clearly. "Can you hear me?" 

"What is it?" Josiah asked. 

"I felt him." Vin returned, needing to make no more explanation than that. "I felt his mind. He’s out of the trance." 

"Are you sure?" The senator looked at him skeptically because Chris for all purposes was just as immobile as he had been. To onlookers, he appeared merely to be in a deep sleep but those who aware the situation, knew better. His mind had shut down in order to let his body repair itself and no energy could be spent on anything else. The brain required far too much of the body’s reserve to function and while the Jedi were able to shut down parts of their bodies to allow vital systems to be repaired, an injury such as Chris was stretching the boundaries of even that extraordinary ability. 

"Yeah," Vin nodded slowly, resisting the urge to touch Chris because he was not sure whether or not he ought to let the Jedi emerge from his limbo state at his own pace or give him the aid needed to return to the land of the living. Fortunately, the dilemma was more or less a moot point when monitors around Chris’s bed began registering the increase his vital signs just before his eyes opened and focussed on them unsteadily. 

"Welcome back." Vin responded, trying to hide just how relieved he was to see Chris awake even though he was certain the powerful Jedi could read his overflowing emotions easily. 

"Its good to have you back brother." Josiah said wrapping his hand around Chris’ fist and squeezing tightly in a show of friendship. 

Chris was still terribly weak. Although he managed to breach the walls of his Jedi trance to return to them, his body was still suffering the effects of the injury he had yet to recover from. It was a struggle to remain conscious and the inviting pull of sleep was difficult to resist. However, he could feel the emotions emanating from his friends, forcing him to keep his eyes open, to show them he was all right. Vin seemed particularly fearful but that was hardly surprising when Chris remembered how closely linked they were. Master and Apprentice, the bond was always strong but Vin was more than just a student, he was a friend and Chris sometimes forgot to the young man, he was the only link Vin would ever have with the Jedi. 

"I wish I could say it was good to be back." Chris muttered weakly, licking his lips because his throat felt dry. The action immediately prompted Josiah to remedy the problem when he held a glass of water to Chris's lips so the Jedi could take small sips.  

"Give it a few days," Vin retorted with a smile. "You just got the business end of a blaster." 

"Oh is that what happened?" Chris mused and eased back onto his pillow again. "I'm guessing we did okay with the Okanah?" 

"If by okay you mean we won, I guess we did." Josiah remarked, not entirely happy to revel too much in their victory. While he understood the need to bear arms for an ideal, he would never be one who could celebrate over the death of another. 

"Mary?" Chris asked quietly, trying not to sound as emotionally involved as he did. 

"She's fine." Vin responded quickly, aware that subject made the Jedi exceedingly uncomfortable and decided to spare Chris the ordeal of being forced to ask after Mary's welfare. "She's on the bridge now. Actually, we better tell her you're awake. She's been pretty worried."

"She has?" Chris croaked, trying to sound not too interested in the answer. Vin kept the observation to himself that even a Jedi can behave like a teenager when it came to a special woman. Vin was glad he was not the only one. 

"Of course she has," Josiah said as a matter of factly. "She's been to see you a few times but you've been in your healing trance." 

Chris absorbed that information and felt a sliver of pleasure knowing Mary was with him even when he was not locked in his limbo like state. However, he said nothing more about it because his feelings about Mary were private and existed in too fragile a state for him to wish discussing it. "So we're on our way back to the base?" 

"Yeah," Vin nodded. "We should be arriving there in a couple of hours." 

"Boy I must have been out of it." Chris sighed, realizing how much time had actually been lost during his immediately recovery. He was still far from recovered and could tell by his present weakened state just how badly he was injured. If not for the Jedi healing trance he had placed himself immediately after being shot, he would have most likely died on the desert floor. Suddenly a memory surfaced in his mind with such force he saw Vin stare at him sharply, because the shock wave had reached the apprentice with just as much force. 

"Josiah." Chris said weakly. "I need a moment with Vin. I need to tell him something." 

"Sure," Josiah responded automatically, taking no offense at the request because the two men were Jedi and there were some things they could not share with the others no matter how much they wanted to. Josiah had come to the firm conclusion it was not a matter of trust but rather one of safety. Josiah had a feeling if they knew half of the secrets Chris and Vin had inside their heads, Vader and the Imperial fleet would be hunting them down just as ruthlessly. Although Buck, Nathan, Josiah, Ezra and JD had not spoken out loud about the secret Vader had almost wrenched free from Vin's mind during the kidnapping of Princess Leia Organa, they came to the conclusion it was better if they did not know. Something told them that it was information that could not be bandied about among too many people if it was to remain safe. 

"I'll tell Mary you're up and about," Josiah said to Chris. 

"Thank you Josiah." Chris smiled gratefully at him for taking the request so well and with so much understanding. 

Vin was puzzled at emotions he suddenly sensed from Chris but did not speak about it until Josiah had left the room. For a moment, the apprentice was bombarded by this overwhelming sense of fear and what surprised him was the nature of Chris's anxiety. It was fear for him. For some reason Chris Larabee was frightened for him. Vin could not even begin to imagine why. He was standing in the room with the Jedi as far from trouble as one could possibly get. There was no need for it unless Chris knew something he did not and that sent a sliver of apprehension through him. 

"What is it?" He asked Chris once Josiah had gone. 

Chris took a deep breath to steady himself. He was tired and he needed to rest but he had to tell Vin what he had sensed. He had to do it before the terrible vision that allowed him to be careless enough to get shot became a reality. Something was coming at them and he sensed the wheels of it were already in motion and had yet to reach his best friend. Even though he was in a weakened state, the Force was still with him and it was warning Chris, the vision where he saw Vin fighting Darth Vader was already more of a reality than he knew. 

"Vin," Chris swallowed, having no idea how to say this. It was one thing warning a man against something that was going to happen but warning him against something he had yet to do? "I had a vision out there in the desert."

That did not surprise Vin in the least. He recalled the expression on Chris's face a few seconds before he was shot. The look in his eyes told Vin he was no longer fighting a battle with them but was rather somewhere else all together. Only a vision could distract Chris enough to allow him to be harmed by a stray bolt during the battle. Chris was more than capable of defending himself against such attacks than anyone he knew and Vin began to fear what the Jedi had seen to cause a lapse of such magnitude. 

"I guessed as much," Vin said tautly. "Couldn't see any reason how you couldn't have gotten hurt otherwise."

Chris nodded weakly, trying to choose his words carefully. He did not want to reveal too much because a man knowing his future may attempt to avoid it by any means necessary. Time had a strange knack of manipulating its currents to reach the end it desired especially when one was trying its hardest to go the opposite direction. Vin's attempt to evade Vader might be what inadvertently put him in danger in the first place. There were a thousand variables to consider and Chris wished he knew how to say the right thing to avoid all of them. 

"It was about you." Chris stated. 

"Tell me." Vin urged after a pause. Had Chris seen his death or something as equally terrible? Is that why the Jedi looked at him with such fear? 

"I saw you fighting Vader." 

Vin felt his heart freeze inside his chest. He knew the name and remembered the sensation of Vader inside his mind when he was on Zhar. That dark, insidious cold invaded his consciousness and prepared to rip apart all he was, to get to the truth the dark lord needed so desperately. Vin still had nightmares about the occasion. Although he had never seen Vader himself, it was more than once he had woken up in the night, sheets plastered to his skin, certain he could still that rasp of a voice speaking through a mask, breathing just as heavily. Vin knew these were impression of Vader he picked up from Chris but that did not make the experience any less daunting. 

"Fighting Vader?" Vin hissed. "Why?"  

"I don't know," Chris shook his head, wishing the images were a little clearer but he was weak and injured and he could not interpret all that he had seen, only the more intense imagery seared into his mind. "You were fighting him Vin. You were fighting him with everything you had." 

"Did he kill me?" Vin dared to ask. 

"No," Chris said immediately without hesitation. "I didn't see that but you were led to him." 

"Led?" Vin's eyes widened, becoming more and more confused. "What do you mean?" 

"Something brought you to him." Chris closed his eyes, his energy reserve draining until he was imparting what he knew to Vin by sheer will power. "A woman brought you to him." 

"Alex!" Vin exclaimed. "Something is going to happen to Alex?" He thought of Alex being in Vader's hands and knew if anything could make him take off and face the dark lord, to ignore the fear the man engender within him, it was Alex.  

"No," Chris shook his head. "Its not Alex. I don't know who exactly but you can't go Vin."  

"If Alex is in trouble...." Vin started to say. As frightened as he was of Darth Vader, he was not about to sacrifice Alex for anything. 

"It's not Alex." Chris felt the last of his strength start to give out. He could feel the soothing black of sleep calling him with its siren song and for once he wanted to be swept away by it. "Vin, you got to promise me not to do anything rash. Things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes our emotions get in the way, they alter our perception of things, make us go one way instead of another. It's powerful and its dangerous, you have to resist the urge to give into them. It's not quite the dark side but it can lead you there." 

"I don't understand Chris," Vin replied, trying to reach him as he felt Chris' mind slip away into fatigue. "If it's not Alex, who're are you taking about?"  

However, Chris was unconscious once more and Vin had no wish to rouse him out of his sleep when he so obviously needed the rest. Still, the words he spoke lingered in the room with them for a long time after Chris slipped back into slumber leaving Vin feeling uneasy in the wake of that revelation.  

"What aren't you telling me Chris?" Vin whispered even though the Jedi was unable to answer. "What can't you tell me?"


	6. The Promise

The message from Crawl was waiting for him when he returned to the rebel base on Siraj.

Thanks to Casey’s skill as a slicer, she had created a veritable maze of scrambled frequencies and boosted signals riding piggyback on normal subspace chatter making it virtually impossible for any communication between Vin and Crawl to be traced. In reality, all the transmissions waited for him in a small, barely functioning transmission storage facility on Bimmisari, which forwarded the latest transmissions directly to the scrambler on board Vin’s ship, the  _Tracker_. It was more than a day after it was originally recorded that Crawl’s message finally reached Vin but it did so without anyone being able to trace the signal and ascertain the location of the rebel base.

As always, upon returning to the base after being a way for a number of days, Vin made the obligatory check on the  _Tracker_. Though no one came near his ship when he was absent other than technicians performing standard maintenance tests on the craft, Vin liked to make a personal inspection for his own benefit. The ship was the first home he had truly called his own and was not merely a vessel but a trusted companion. It had serviced him through numerous adventures and was his prized possession. Coming on board the craft, Vin nestled comfortably into the cockpit, settling into the command chair molded to suit him after years of use.

It was good to be back in the cockpit of his ship. Here at least, there was no confusion. This was all his and as he stared through the cockpit window and saw the hive of activity bustling beyond the confines of the craft, it was good to know he could escape the world briefly by wrapping himself in its familiar surroundings. He would have been here sooner but he had first visited Chris in the medical centre following their return to the base. The Jedi was still in no condition to leave and at present would require bed rest for at least a few more weeks. That he was too weak to protest was an affirmation of how ill he was. Vin remained at his side for most of the journey from Okanah, often being relieved by the others and by Mary who came and sat by the Jedi’s side when the bridge could permit her to the time to get away.

Mary was with Chris now and Vin wanted to give them some privacy, so he left the Jedi in the lady's capable hands and took the opportunity to carry out some personal errands. The last had been to check on his ship. Vin noticed the light flashing on his communications terminal and realised he had messages waiting to be read and felt a surge of anticipation at that discovery. When he first had Casey set up the system for him to receive external transmissions, he did so in the hopes of hearing from Alex. He was painfully aware of how difficult it would be for her to make regular trips to the base, especially when much of her work required her to be deep under cover most of the time. This was the only form of communication that would pass between them during the periods when she was under deep cover.

Vin immediately activated his message viewer and eased back into his chair, prepared to bask in the sight of Alex on the holographic imager before him however, to his disappointment, it was not Alex who appeared but rather Crawl. The former bounty hunter sat up abruptly. Crawl knew his affiliations these days and would not risk contacting him unless there was something terribly urgent to be discussed. He hoped Crawl was all right because he was fond of the old bounty hunter whom had given him his start in the profession and hated to see any harm coming to the Modrek.

The hologram crackled into being with a slight burst of static before the image steadied and the audio input began transmitting. "Tanner, I know we agreed that it was a good idea that I didn’t try to contact you but this situation is something of an exception. I wasn’t sure I wanted to pass this message on to you because you seem into be in enough trouble these days with the Empire without this little gem making things worse but I figured it isn’t my choice to make. Besides, you were crazy enough to become a Jedi, you’re probably crazy enough to do this too."

Vin tensed. He could feel the tremor in the Force telling him immediately trouble was coming at him and he braced himself to receive it. Crawl’s words seemed ominous and the sliver of ice that was slowly snaking up his spine conveyed the feeling most succinctly. The holographic image of the old bounty hunter before him disappeared in another eruption of mild static as Crawl encrypted a new message within his own. The face that materialised before Vin drove the air from his lungs. It was a face he spent years trying to erase from his memory with little success, and when she appeared before him again, the recognition brought with it a tidal wave of longing and regret of what had been and would never be again.

"My name is Charlotte Richmond," she introduced herself as Vin continued to stare, feeling his heart stop beating at about the same time he had forgotten how to breathe. "I am the wife of Governor Will Richmond of Commenor. I am trying to find Vin Tanner, he once told me that you were a person that could be trusted."

Vin remembered that, he remembered telling her he trusted Crawl with his life and that the man was completely trustworthy, particularly when Crawl guessed the reason for his determination to stay by Charlotte’s side back in the days when he was still her bodyguard. Crawl had given him advice he should probably taken when he started to fall for Charlotte; cut and run. Of course she was the first woman Vin ever truly loved and leaving was impossible for him then. He was young and he was head over heels. It was as perfect a recipe for disaster as any that had ever been created. It made sense she would contact Crawl to reach him. Friendships like the one shared with Crawl lasted years, usually unto the death. It was probably the only avenue Charlotte had to find him, now that he had joined the Rebellion and had dropped out from sight.

"I need to get in touch with him urgently," Charlotte continued her transmitted message to Crawl. "My daughter and I are in danger and we must find safe haven with the Rebel Alliance. I know Vin has joined them and thought you may have some way to contact him. Please, my life and that of my child’s are in your hands. If you are able to contact him, please tell him we are presently on Ithor, hiding in Seleusa Secanda, the capital city of Ithor. He may find us under the name of my companion Maria. Please," her face showed the lines of her worry and fear even through the holographic projection of her image. "We don’t know how long we can keep out of Imperial hands. If it was just me, I could accept the dying but its not me they want, its my daughter Lilith and if all else, I need the rebellion to protect her. I care nothing for myself."

With that noble statement, the recording ended and for a long time after its demise, Vin could only sit in his chair, recovering in stunned silence. Even though he seemed statue like, inside he was a tidal wave of tumultuous emotions. What cruel trick of fate was this to bring Charlotte back to him now? He had yearned for this moment for years, had dreamed about it during the lonely nights that followed their separation. There were times he would have preferred to die then go on living without her. He had loved her so much and the intensity of it was still as fierce except now his emotions were in a confused frenzy. He thought of Alex and suddenly it became even worse, he was in love with Alex but now he was torn because Charlotte was back. Charlotte whom he always wanted, who had been the first person to love him and made him feel as if he was worth carrying about.

Why now, he asked himself in anguish? It was not fair!

Fair or not, she needed his help and that part at least was clear to him. He had to go to Ithor and bring her back here. Perhaps along the way, he would decide how he felt about her and how he felt Alex and be able to make a choice on what he wanted to do. For the first time, he had understood why she never specified what kind of danger she had been in when he had been hired to act as her guardian. No bounty hunter in his right mind would have accepted a job protecting anyone wanted by the Empire. In the days of the Old Republic, such a thing was acceptable because the Republic was weak and was not extreme in its dealings with those acting against their wishes. The Empire however, was an entirely different animal, it was not weak but rather merciless. A bounty hunter finding himself pitted against the Empire would lose and lose _big_.

Had she trusted him so little even after they had crossed the line with each other that she could not tell him the truth? That angered Vin a little and he knew he was clinging to this little piece of outrage so he could balance out the urge to be swept away by his emotions for her. He needed to think clearly because if he helped her (as if there was any question he would not), he would be coming face to face with Imperial hunters and that was a course of action that required consideration. In the end however, it was a battle lost even before it began, he knew he would go. In fact, there was never really any doubt he would.

He had promised her he would.

When they cast their final gaze upon each other and walked away for the eternity that concluded just a short time ago, Vin had promised Charlotte if she ever needed him, she could count on him to come to her aid. He promised he would help her because he knew she had enemies and someday, not even Richmond and all his money was going to save her from her written destiny. Despite the fact she had sent him away, that she had asked him to leave and never look back, Vin had made the promise using it an anchor to the dwindling hope she might need him and he could have reason to see her again. Now she was holding him to that promise and no matter what the consequences to himself he would not let her down.

He sat in the cockpit of the  _Tracker_  understanding at last this was what Chris had been referring to in his sick bed. This situation with Charlotte would undoubtedly lead him to face Vader and whether or not he survived the encounter was a secret Chris could or would not tell him. He should have felt angry at the Jedi but he could not. Chris had done everything required of a good friend trying to save his life. He seen the vision of Vin's fate and had almost died himself to bring Vin that revelation. What Vin did from this point on was no one's responsibility but his own. When Chris had spoken about a woman bringing him to ruin, Vin expected it to be Alex. Never in all his imaginings did he conceive that it would be Charlotte.

Now that he knew the truth, it did not seem so surprising. Charlotte had brought him to the brink of destruction once before and it appeared she was going to do so again. He made his decision like a man going to his execution and yet he knew even though it was easy enough to ignore her desperate cry for help, he could not. When he left Tatooine, Vin had barely the clothes on his back and a few credits in his pocket to get by but the one thing he had, worth more to him than all his meager possessions, was his word. A man could lose everything in life but he was still not destitute as long as he had his honor. He had given Charlotte his word he would come when she needed him and for better or worse; he would keep that oath.

After making that decision, he realised he would have to leave the base immediately. The message had taken days to reach him which meant Charlotte was still on Ithor awaiting him. An ex-bounty hunter knew how dangerous it was to remain in one place whilst one was being hunted by Imperials. She could not stay there long even though she was no doubt taking great precautions to be anonymous. Eventually, the Empire would find her. He could not even get word to her he had received her message and was on his way. Even though she said she could be contacted via someone named Maria, Vin would not take the risk. The Empire was notorious for the traps it was capable of setting and he had no intention of finding himself in one. While his Jedi senses told him that the result of all this would be the confrontation Chris had seen in his vision where Vin found himself facing Vader, Vin was going to nonetheless take every precaution to avert that outcome.

He just hoped Chris would understand.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Vin found himself standing at the glass peering into Chris Larabee's room in the medical centre. The Jedi was resting comfortably, still in critical condition and would remain so for several days until he regained his strength. Chris was asleep in his bed and Vin saw no reason to wake him up. In truth, Vin would rather avoid telling Chris what he was about to do, not simply to spare himself Chris's attempts to stop him from going through with this but also to save Chris from the refusal Vin would inevitably have to give him. The words the Jedi had spoken still weighed heavily on his mind, not to mention the plea for him not to act rashly. Vin was not acting rashly but he simply could not walk away from Charlotte. She needed him and only he knew just how much it took for her to ask him.

He stared through the glass at Chris, certain he was taking the coward's way out by simply leaving but he knew Chris and if he were to tell the Jedi of his intention to go, Chris would either try to stop him or go with him. Vin would not risk the Jedi's life for anything. Chris was the best friend Vin ever had in his life. He was someone who had not only opened up a world for him but also revealed that a part of himself, he had always thought to be an aberration, as something to be proud of and to be celebrated. Chris had given him the world of the Jedi and for that, Vin would be at his side forever except for right now because he had to do this. A short time ago, he wondered if watching Chris being shot was the defining moment that transformed him into a Jedi. Now he knew better.

His trial would be to confront his fear of facing Darth Vader. So he would do that. He would confront that fear and accept the consequences of that, whatever it may be.

"Vin," Buck Wilmington's voice suddenly called out to him.

Vin looked up and saw the star pilot approaching him from down the corridor. Judging by the emotions of concern emanating from Buck, Vin guessed he must have heard about his departure. "Buck." Vin said shortly and faced front again, continuing his observation of Chris in his slumber.

"I hear you're leaving." Buck declared in a statement that was no surprise to Vin. "One of the techs preparing your ship made mention of it."

"Yeah," Vin nodded. "I have some business to take care of on Ithor."

"Care to fill me in?" Buck asked, knowing Vin well enough to know that he did not just leave without good reason.

"It's a long story and I don't have time to tell it to you." 

"I think you do." Buck answered in a tone that made Vin look at him.

"It's none of your business Buck." Vin stared at him. "I have to take care of things."

"Vin, you're a member of the Rebel Alliance, like it or not. We don't just leave, not when our capture means compromising the security of everyone in this place. I'm the last person to lecture you on that but you're planning on leaving without even telling Chris, which kind of makes me wondering what you got yourself into that you can't tell him, unless of course its something he won't let you do if he knew about it."

"I have to go." Vin turned around and started walking.

"Vin don't do this." Buck tried once more. He had no concept of the Force but his instincts were strong and everything he saw in Vin's face right now, told him the young man was skirting on the edge of disaster and it would harm Chris Larabee irreparably if anything happened to Vin. Buck would spare Chris that pain again, not when he was finally on the road to recovery. The bond between the two wasstrong and sometimes Buck envied it but he also understood that friendships evolved. His and Chris's friendship had changed and it was in some ways stronger even if it was also more distant. He accepted it and he accepted Vin had much to do with Chris's return to the land of the living. "If anything happens to you, he'll never forgive himself."

Vin paused and let out a deep breath, knowing that part was true. He turned around and faced Buck. "I gave her my word Buck, I told her if she ever needed me, I'd be there. She needs me now."

"Are we talking about Alex?" Buck asked but instinctively, he guessed that they weren't.

"No," he shook his head. "We're not talking about Alex. We're talking about Charlotte Richmond."

Richmond. Buck went silent for a second as he tried to remember why the name was so familiar. After a moment, he lifted his eyes to Vin. "She got anything to do with Governor Richmond of Commenor?" Buck was almost afraid to ask.

"She's his wife." Vin said quietly.

"Hell Vin." He sucked in his breath. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," Vin replied honestly now that he was bearing his soul. "I'm not sure about anything. I only know I have to go. She needs my help and if she's asked, it means she has no one else to turn to." 

Buck nodded in understanding. He knew better than any one what it was to be completely lost in the affairs of the heart. How many times had he risked being shot by an angry husband over some of his dalliances? If Vin had fallen for this woman as hard as he had fallen for Alex, then there would be no reasoning with him. Buck was not even sure if he should try because if it were he, no one would be able to convince him otherwise. Buck would already be on his ship and going to the rescue, no matter how fool hardy the exercise might seem.

"Vin this could get you killed." Buck pointed out.

It was not the first warning he had heard about this issue and Vin supposed Buck was probably right but he still had to go. "I know."

"Let me come with you," Buck offered and he meant it too. Whatever Vin was embarking upon was fraught with considerable danger and his manner had all the indications that he did not expect to come back. This did not sit well with Buck at all. "You can use the help."

"No," Vin shook his head, not even considering it because he would not. There was no way he was risking any one of his friends where Vader was concerned. It was one thing to throw his own life away on some foolhardy mission to save an old love but he was allowing no else to risk losing their lives because of him. "I have to do this myself. Chris told me something of what's going to happen. You can't be there. None of you can."

"I hate this Jedi stuff!" Buck exclaimed angrily. "All of you are the same! You rush off alone and get into more trouble than you know what to do and you won't accept any help! Goddamn Vin let us help you!"

"You can't." Vin returned. "I'm going to help Charlotte and if I can get back here I will but you can't join me. Chris saw what was going to happen and I can live with it if it's just me but I won't be able to if any of my friends get hurt."

"Vin...." Buck started to protest but Vin stopped him from saying anything further by interrupting.

"Buck, I loved her once and I wasn't able to help her then. I have to do it now. I don't know whether I still love her but I can't say no to her." He started to turn away when suddenly he remembered something and faced the pilot again.

"Tell Alex I'm sorry." He met Buck's gaze. "If don't make it back, tell her I love her but I had to do this."

Buck wished he knew what to say but he did not. The Jedi's way were mysterious and the affairs of the heart were shrouded in even greater mystery. Vin's course was set and short of physically stopping him, which would have been a very bad idea even if Vin was just an apprentice, Buck knew he could do little to prevent the younger man from leaving. He did not even know whether he should even try. All he could do was nod, offering Vin the silent promise Alex would hear his final message if he did not come back from Ithor. Before Buck could respond with anything further, the Jedi apprentice turned on his heels and disappeared out of the corridor, leaving Buck alone.

* * *

When Chris Larabee's eyes fluttered open some hours later, he noticed immediately something was out of balance. For a number of brief seconds, his consciousness struggled to find a reason for such an odd sensation. He was still weak and answers did not come to him with the speed he might have liked but he could feel the Force and at the moment it was telling him something was wrong. The memories of the past days immediately allowed his intellect to narrow down the possible causes even if his extra-sensory perceptions were lagging a little in his injured condition. He sat up in his bed and swept his gaze across the room, finally resting his eyes upon the empty space that should have been occupied by the Jedi apprentice since Chris had found himself interned in this room, he finally understood what was different.

Vin was gone.

Whatever wheels were set in motion during the battle of Okanah, it finally reached the young man and despite Chris's warnings, he had gone nonetheless. Not only had he fled while Chris was too weak to stop him, he had also gone without even saying goodbye. Chris would have almost been angry if he did not understand why Vin had done it. The answer was simple enough; Chris would have tried to stop him and Vin, for whatever reason had been compelled to go, could not be stopped in this endeavor. Even now, Chris could sense him drawing further away until the bond between them existed by the filmiest threads of connection.

He sensed someone coming and immediately shifted his eyes towards the door. Buck Wilmington entered the room and Chris stared at him sharply because he could feel the emotions emanating from his oldest friend and as well as the memory of Vin inside Buck's mind.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Chris demanded as soon as Buck came through the door.

"I didn't have a choice." Buck replied softly, having anticipated the question the moment he saw Chris's eyes on him.

"Vader is after him." Chris said firmly. "If he has left Siraj, Vader  _will_  get him."

Buck swallowed, understanding at last why Vin refused to let anyone accompany him. "There was nothing I could do to stop him Chris," Vin replied. "It has to do with a woman."

"I know," Chris nodded. "Not Alex though."

"No," Buck answered. "Her name is Charlotte Richmond. She's Governor Richmond's wife."

Chris exhaled loudly and felt back into his bed, almost defeated. "She's also going to lead Vader straight to him."

"I think he knows that Chris." The pilot whispered. "I think he is perfectly aware of that."

Chris started to get up and immediately prompted Buck into action. "Chris what the hell are you doing?"

"What do you think?" Chris grunted as he pulled himself up into sitting position. "I'm going after him because if I don't, not even with the Force will he get out of this alive."


	7. The Jedi

There were very few worlds like Ithor.

The entire planet was encased in a fist of green vegetation, the product of a completely agrarian society whose belief in the sanctity of the land bordered almost on religious fervor. Inhabitants of the planet had long ago abandoned terrestrial living in favor of large floating cities called herdships. The move was made to protect the cycle of regeneration and growth of the planet's extensive forests. Ithor had become one of the richest sources of food crops in the entire galaxy, feeding billions thanks to the efficient management of its agricultural industry. It had been such during the day of the Republic and it was the same now the era belonged to the Empire.

Vin admired the planet surface as the  _Tracker_  proceeded towards the capital city of Ithor.

The capital, Seleusa Secanda was actually the largest herdship of all the floating cities and the only one equipped with docking facilities for private and commercial starships. The native Ithorians, or hammerheads as they were most commonly known, had no love for the Empire. They were generally a peaceful race, finding destruction a waste of time when theirs was the business of giving life to seeds and making things grow. They accepted begrudgingly Imperial rule although they did not go out of their way to be cooperative. The Empire tolerated their idiosyncrasies mostly because the Ithorians fed a great deal of the core planets and were reluctant to disrupt the flow of its production.

Vin could understand why Charlotte would have chosen Ithor as her hiding place. Most Ithorians did not look upon collaborators with any mercy and were known to kill them for their betrayal. All life on Ithor was precious and Ithorians took great efforts to protect those who came to their herdships for sanctuary. With such dislike of informants a matter of public knowledge; those who practiced the craft preferred to stay off Ithor, thus there was little danger of an informant giving Charlotte away during her stay here. Vin however, was not foolish enough to think that she could remain here indefinitely without arousing suspicion. Whether intentional or not, someone would give her away and the Empire was known to monitor their communications channels of planets they knew were unsympathetic to them.

The  _Tracker_  had been provided with the same false registration codes that the  _Rogue_  had been provided when it made off world trips. Since he had become a fugitive, his ship was just as wanted as him and was on record at Imperial outposts everywhere. Although the space station on Seleusa Secanda was controlled by Ithorian authorities, their records still needed to be sent to the local Imperial stations for review and if they recognized the _Tracker_ , it would only be a matter of hours before a destroyer was in orbit around the planet. Considering he had had done this without help, he would prefer not to have a run in with a destroyer because attention like that would undoubtedly bring Vader as well.

Vin discarded his Jedi robes for something more conventional with his lightsabre tucked beneath his jacket where it would not be seen. The weapon was a dead giveaway he did not really need right now and he hoped Charlotte would understand when he tried to explain it to her. From a bounty hunter to padwan learner was going to take a great deal of explanation but no more than why she was running away from Imperial agents he supposed. Entering Ithorian space dock proved to be without difficulty. The hammerheads took his registration codes as gospel and allowed him to land in a berth without incident. Something for which he was extremely grateful.

Most of the travelers to Seleusa were usually here for the business of trading so when he entered the city after departing the space dock, Vin was careful to blend into the groups of traders moving towards the commercial districts where the lodging houses would be situated. If Charlotte wanted to be found, she would not make it difficult for him. Seleusa was like any busy city even if its traders were mostly farmers and large scale agricultural wholesalers. They came in every different shape and size; not even elitist policies of the Empire could contain the economics of interstellar trade. It was good to see that some semblance of the Republic was still alive and Vin felt strangely comforted by the chatter of so many languages. It allowed him to become just another face in a sea of faces.

He was moving through the city, confident he was not discovered, nor his intentions known when he started to sense something on the edge of his consciousness. At first he thought it was his mental bond with Chris because Vin could sense the Jedi no matter what the distance between them. However, this was different. It was very close and also very familiar. There was a moment of stark terror as he approached the lodging centers when he thought Vader might be here but calmed himself because he knew how that sensation felt and no way could the Sith Lord be here without him having more than just a feeling about it. The last time he had even felt the man's presence, Vin had known about it instantly and even then he was not as adept as he was now.

Through means he could not understand, there was a Jedi here.

Vin took a deep breath and told himself there was nothing to be done about it now. The other Jedi would have sensed him just as surely as Vin would have felt his presence and he still had to find Charlotte. Hopefully, the Jedi would not get in his way of that and just to feel secure, Vin patted his jacket and felt the secure shape of his lightsabre hidden in its folds. There were a number of lodging centres in Seleusa when he finally arrived at the appropriate district but common sense told him that Charlotte would pick one of the less frequented ones. Thus Vin conducted his search in all the smaller facilities, ever mindful of the Jedi whose presence he could feel but made no attempt to contact. He guessed if the Jedi wanted to hide, this was a good a place as any. The Ithorians were a spiritual people and their belief in things unseen also extended to the Jedi.

After an hour of searching, he was met with success and retained enough of his old skills as a bounty hunter to ensure no one would be following his trail. He learned from an elder Ithorian who seemed to stare at Vin as if he knew more than he should; that a woman by the name of Maria was in fact lodging here. Vin wondered who Maria was and considered it might be an alias but that would be too simple. He doubted Charlotte would travel alone with a child but supposed six years could change things considerably and he had no idea what her life had been like since his departure from it. He did not wish to think too much about that because it would bring up feelings he had no business having.

As difficult as this all might seem to him now, the truth was; he had left Charlotte behind and he was in love with Alex. What he had said to Buck was not a lie no matter how confusing things might be right now. Even now, the thought of dying and never seeing Alex drove a knife through his heart despite the reasons that brought him here. Vin tried not to think about her, aware his survival from this point on depended on his being focussed. However, as he made his way towards the suite of rooms being occupied by the woman called Maria, Vin could not help thinking about Charlotte and how it would feel to see her again.

Unfortunately even thoughts about Charlotte became difficult to sustain when his sense of the Jedi became so strong it was impossible to ignore. He came to the realization the Jedi was close, allowing Vin to sense him but also blocking his thoughts so Vin could not know any more than that he was here. Suddenly fears about Vader returned to him but Vin knew it made no difference, he had to find Maria to find Charlotte so he would continue. After what seemed an eternity of time, he stepped onto the corridor where her lodgings were and could feel the presence of the Jedi more strongly than ever. Vader had her, he thought to himself. Vader had her and was waiting for Vin to arrive.

It was so easy to turn around and leave. He was under no obligation to risk his life but to do that would be to condemn her and her child to death and Vin was not ready to do that. He made up his mind quickly as he stood in the corridor at what he would do. He would offer Vader his life to let Charlotte go. Once she was gone with her child, he would kill himself. It was not much of an alternative but it was better than allowing Vader access to his mind where the secret of Skywalker would be exposed. Vin thought of that innocent child on that moisture farm in Tatooine and knew just how much the future relied upon him to know he could never fall into Vader's clutches. 

And he would not. Vin would rather die first. 

He reached the door and was about to activate it when it opened before him. If anything confirmed Vader knew it was here, it was that one final act. Vin let out a deep breath and accepted what would happen as he stepped into the room. The first thing he saw when he entered was not a phalanx of stormtroopers or even the dark lord himself, instead he found himself in front of Charlotte. She was just as he remembered her, soft eyes; a smile seemed to light up her face upon seeing him. Her eyes glistened with emotion as they faced each other for the first time in so long and suddenly, she was in his arms and they were kissing each other as if the years had never been.  

He felt her mouth melt over his and for a short time, it felt as if they had never been apart, like he had never walked away from her so many years ago. However, he soon remembered he had, that she had asked him to leave and someone else had picked up the pieces of his heart, someone he loved. The memory of Alex alone forced him to pull back and when he did, when his mind was not so clouded by his emotions, Vin was able to sense something else and the discovery drove him back in utter shock.

"Charlotte," he managed to say once the shock had dissipated enough to allow him speech. "You're a Jedi."

* * *

 

"What are you doing?" Mary Travis asked when she entered the confines of Chris's quarters in the Medical Center and found him attempting to climb out of bed despite the collective protests of the medical droid and Buck Wilmington. 

"What does it look like?" Chris asked as he slowly attempted to get dressed, an action that produced a grimace on his face each time he tried to move. 

"It looks like you're about to be put back into bed whether or not you like it." She said calmly, her arms folded as she stared at him critically. 

"Mary, don't try and stop me." Chris retorted just as defiantly. "I have to go after him." 

"And do what?" Mary came around the bed so she could look him in the eyes. "So that you can help him? What exactly do you think you can do for him other than bleed profusely?" 

"Vader's going after him!" Chris barked at her. 

"And naturally you are going there because you are in perfect shape of course to fight Vader." Mary returned smoothly, her cool voice a stark contrast to the agitation displayed by the men present.  

"It’s like talking to a mynock." Buck grumbled, in complete agreement with Mary. "Chris, you go after Vin and you’ll do is give him something else to worry about." 

"I’m not discussing this with a committee." Chris retorted and struggled to slip on his shirt. 

Buck opened his mouth to protest but Mary gave him a brief look, instructing him to let her handle this. "Chris we are not a committee and you are not going. Buck and I will go." 

Chris shot her a sharp look over his shoulder and retorted. "This is supposed to make me feel better? So instead of Vin I have to worry about, I’ll have you and Buck too?" 

"Well that’s awful sweet of you Chris but if you’re so worried about us, maybe you wouldn’t be behaving like a damned fool so we’d have to go to these lengths to keep you from busting all the new seams you got inside of you." Buck glowered.  

"Buck you don’t know what’s at stake." Chris stared at his old friend trying to make him understand. Vin knew the secret that the remaining Jedi were prepared to die to keep from being exposed. Above all else, the safety of the Skywalker twins had to be ensured. Chris knew with certainty that Vin would never willingly give up the information to Vader but that was not to say Vader could not extract it from him. Vin was just an apprentice and Vader was possibly the most powerful Jedi there was. Chris could not be certain Vin’s mental shields would be able to keep Vader from stealing what he knew straight out of his mind. 

"I know it's important." Buck returned firmly. "I know it scares you to death he may let Vader in on it but he might surprise you. To tell you the truth, Vin didn’t seem all that eager to have a run in with the guy and he’s smart enough to cut and run when he knows trouble is coming Chris."  

"He may not get the chance." Chris muttered, still remembering the terrible vision where he had seen Vin and Vader do battle until the dark lord had struck the apprentice down. He remembered Vin’s scream of pain and the blood that washed the floor of their battleground. 

"That’s why Buck and I are going." Mary stated firmly, bringing them back to the original point of discussion.

"Please Sir," the medical droid implored in its erudite tones. "You must return to bed. Your vital statistics are still below normal, you must recuperate from your injuries."

"Vin’s an apprentice Jedi and he may not be able to stand against Vader," Chris declared, finding his reserve energy starting to dwindle and knew the droid was right about that much anyway. He was weak but he was damned he was going to show it to either Mary or Buck. "What makes you think you two can?" 

"Because we’re going in a warship," Mary responded aloofly. "And if we have to bomb the city from orbit to help Vin get away we will. If we leave now, we can get to him before Vader does." 

"You can’t be sure of that." Chris retorted, not about to give up yet but her words were starting to effect him and also he was finding it difficult to stand. Under the thermal gauze covering his wounds he could feel blood escaping through fissures in tender flesh and knew that he had reopened some of the medical droid’s intricate repair work on his body. 

"No I can’t," Mary returned coolly, sounding every much the commander and when she was in this frame of mind, nothing would make her budge from her set course. "But its still a better way of getting Vin back then you going after him because that has disaster written all over it." 

"Sir, I detect fresh bleeding." The medical droid moved towards him and was soon overtaken by Buck who managed to catch Chris as the last of his energy withered and was about to sink to the floor. The big man helped Chris to his bed, taking note of the widening red stain seeping through the thermal gauze. 

"You’re one stubborn son of a bitch you know that?" Buck shook his head as he and the droid both helped Chris into his bed once more.

"You should talk." Chris groaned as he was forced back into the soft mattress. As much as he worried for Vin, he could not deny it felt heavenly to be able to sink back into its softness and realised though rather begrudgingly Mary and Buck were right. He was in no shape to go after the younger man.

"Chris," Mary waited until he nestled back into the sheets before she placed a hand on his cheek. "We’ll find him, I promise you."

"You have to find him Mary," Chris held her hand against his face, liking her touch and amazed by how much comfort it seemed to provide him. "You can’t let Vader get to him first. The consequences would be extreme, not just for him but for the entire rebellion and the galaxy. He can’t know what Vin does."

Mary nodded in understanding even though she did not know the secret. There was something in the way he spoke that told her it was the truth; that more than she could possibly know rested on Vader being denied what was contained in Vin Tanner’s head. The secret frightened her because it was a terrible thing to know so much rested on an unknown, one that was not even safe for her to be aware of. "I won’t let it happen Chris," Mary said in the same tone of confidence that Chris had often used to allay her fears about things. "We’ll find him."

He had to believe that she could because if the consequences would be dire if she failed. 

* * *

At last he understood.

All those times when she seemed to know what he was thinking, how she always knew how he felt without his having to say a word. Vin had thought it was because she knew like no other woman had ever done but now he realized all that belief had was based on an illusion. Even his own insight into her feelings and her heart was now merely the connection engendered by two people who were Force adept, Vin almost felt cheated. In what other way had she used her abilities in the Force to influence him? Had falling in love with her been part of it too? A part of him felt betrayed and humiliated almost as if he had been subjected to the same invasive intrusion Vader inflicted upon him when he tried to extract information about Skywalker from Vin’s mind.

Charlotte’s expression of happiness to see him soon disintegrated into a mask of dismay when she understood what was running through his mind. She stared at him for a few seconds, eyes beginning to glisten at the anger in his thoughts she could feel most clearly at the moment. Swallowing hard, it took a few second for her to come up with some kind of response although she was uncertain whether or not he was in any frame of mind to listen to her. Still she had to try, she had to explain why she never told him the truth. It was as much for his protection as it was for her own. However, she had never used her abilities to produce some false sense of feeling for her. It was the one thing that had drawn her so much to him; what he felt was from the heart and she could feel it. 

"It wasn’t like that." She said quietly. 

"What was it like?" He demanded.

"I did love you and you loved me." The steps he had taken backwards seemed like a chasm of great distance but she held her ground instead of moving towards him, aware he had reason to feel what he did. "Nothing about that was ever a lie. What we felt was real."

"I have no way of knowing that." He glared at her. "You lied to me about everything, right down to what I was. I thought you understood me. For the first time in my life, I thought there was someone else in the galaxy who understood what I felt but it was all a lie! You used the fact I knew nothing about the Force to make me feel for you!" 

"Vin it wasn’t like that!" Charlotte exclaimed, horrified by the notion. "I didn’t tell you because you had no idea you had the Force and it was best that you didn’t know." 

"How could it be best?" He accused. "I had no idea what I was for the last six years. I went through my life having this feeling about myself but never knowing for sure. You could have told me I was Force adept instead of hiding it from me."

"And what would telling you have served?" She asked. "Vin, do you have any idea how dangerous it is to be a Jedi now?"

"How can you be a Jedi and ask that?" Vin stared at her in shock, unable to believe she and Chris Larabee were one and the same. How could they be so different? Whatever might have happened to Chris, even through the tremendous losses of his life, Chris never abandoned his Jedi faith. He might have strayed from its path but to utterly walk away would have been incomprehensible to the seasoned Jedi.  

"I have been a Jedi for as long as I can remember." She glowered angrily at having her faith challenged with such revulsion. "My mother was a Jedi and her father before her and if I want my daughter to become a Jedi or to know the Jedi ways, I have to protect her. If that protection required me having to walk away from what I was, I was willing to do it." 

"You should have told me!" Vin hissed, unable to accept her explanation. If she wanted to protect Lilith by hiding that part of herself, that did not exonerate her from keeping secret what she knew him to be. "You had no right to keep something like that from me. I needed to know!" 

"Vin if you knew, you would have insisted on finding the Jedi, is that not true?" She asked, refusing to believe that what she did was wrong. 

"You know I would have." He retorted. "If you didn’t, you would have told me the truth." 

"If you became a Jedi, they would hunt you just as they were hunting me." Charlotte said softly. "I have seen so many friends and families die because of the Emperor’s insane desire to destroy the Jedi. Vader was one of us! He turned to the dark side and now he’s obliterating every remnant of us across the entire galaxy. I did not want that for you Vin. I didn’t want you to have to run." 

He was still angry with her but he also understood she was trying to protect him. Hadn’t Chris Larabee been the same when they had first met? Chris was reluctant to have him become an apprentice because he feared the Empire would come after him just as it had done with the rest of the Jedi. Why should Charlotte be any different? However, Chris had given him the choice. He had allowed Vin to decide for himself whether or not he wanted to be a Jedi or to follow the path. "You denied me the choice Charlotte." Vin stared at her mercilessly. "Whatever your reasons, you denied me the right to choose." 

"Vin, please." Charlotte implored "I did what I had to do to protect you. I didn’t want you to get hurt." 

"Its too late." Vin declared. "I’m a Padwan learner." 

"I know," Charlotte nodded. "I sensed it the minute you came on board Seleusa." It was true. Though she resisted the urge to look into his mind, she still sought his presence and she could sense in him the discipline in his thoughts that was lacking before. "Vin, I know I can’t make up for what I did but this is a new beginning." 

"No it’s not," he shook his head, his eyes meeting her dead on. "I will help you Charlotte. I will help you get to the Rebellion but that’s all I can do. What we had between us isn’t possible any more."

 Charlotte stared at him and swallowed visibly. "Is there someone else?" 

Images of Alex involuntarily surfaced in his mind and he was certain she was privy to all of it. The rush of feeling that filled his soul whenever the lovely operative was near immediately gripped his heart and infused it with warm and longing. He wished things had been different because for so long he had awaited this day. Years ago, it was all he could think about. The irony that now she was here, he no longer wanted her because his heart had gone to someone else was not lost on him. In the last few hours, he had become certain of that fact despite all the confusion that pursued him until this point. 

"Yes," Vin nodded slowly. "Her name is Alex."

"Is she one of us?" Charlotte asked quietly. She had feared it but supposed she should not have been surprised by the revelation. She had continued with her life when she sent him away. It was pure wishful thinking to assume he would not have done the same. 

"No," he shook his head in response. "She’s not Force adept and I don’t need her to be. I guess I know she loves me because she doesn’t need the Force to know me."

The obvious rebuke impacted on Charlotte with a sting but she said nothing because she  _did_  deserve it. "I understand." She responded not knowing what else to say, if there was anything to say in the face of his disclosure.  

"Where is Lilith?" Vin asked, taking stock of the luxurious room and realizing he had not seen the little girl for whom her mother had sacrificed so much.  

"I had Maria take her to the Observation Deck." Charlotte responded glad to leave the earlier awkwardness for the time being. There was much for them both to deal with and it was best that they concentrate on getting to the Alliance in one piece.  

Vin was all for leaving immediately. They had so far managed to avoid any Imperial entanglements but Vin did not want to gamble on their luck holding out indefinitely. It was tempting fate too much that they were all together in one place, too easy for some Imperial to capture them all and make a name for himself. "Pack enough to last you the trip to the Alliance," Vin ordered. "We're leaving." 

"You have a ship?" Charlotte asked hopefully. 

"Yes," Vin nodded. "She's docked in the space port. Once you're packed, we're out of here."

* * *

Far above the twilight space beyond Ithor's atmosphere, a section of space no different from any other in the star system, began to cackle with energy. The shift was barely noticeable because in a vacuum, even energy seemed inert. A blue tendril here and there, almost like hairline fractures in the indigo canvas, converged at the fixed point for a few milliseconds. Then suddenly, like a giant leviathan exploding out of the ocean, the great ship entered Ithorian space. Its entrance was dramatic; appearing as if it had dragged the stars behind it from whence it had emerged. Space seemed to contract around the ship and then expanded again, a dazzling array of a light and technological magnificence rolled into a one-second display that no one except a passing ship would ever see. 

The super star destroyer  _Executor_ hovered in place for a few seconds as across the floating metropolis, technicians and officers were ensuring that the journey here had been made with minimal incident. Following the fraction of a second it took to make this determination, the massive rear engines of the craft flared to life with blue intensity heat and sailed towards the Ithorian orbit. Through the observation window of its bridge, Lord Darth Vader contemplated the brief journey and gave orders to proceed. 

The trap was sprung.  

Now it was time to claim his prize.


	8. Interception

"Vin," Charlotte spoke, her voice almost a hiss. 

Vin froze when the feeling seeped into him and met her gaze in complete understanding. He could sense it too. It had come upon them so suddenly there could be no doubt as to what they were sensing. A cold sensation invaded them with little or not warning. It chipped away at the strength of their resolve and infused them with icy tendrils quickly coiling around their spines like cold fingers. The power of it was made it impossible for them to be mistaken even though the confirmation sent dread through every fiber of their being.  

"I know," Vin responded gravely. "He's here."

They had just left Charlotte's lodgings in the Ithorian herdship, Seleusa Secanda, bound for the promenade deck where visitors to the city enjoyed the sights of Ithor beyond the confines of the self contained vessel that floated above the planet's surface. Charlotte's companion Maria had taken her daughter Lilith there to give her reunion with Vin some privacy. During their journey to Ithor, Charlotte confided in Maria the nature of her relationship with Vin and upon learning he had finally made his arrival on board, had made a discreet exit to allow her mistress to deal with what was a difficult emotional situation.

Although Vin was certain his history with Charlotte was in no way resolved, he did not want to waste any time discussing it or for that matter, lingering in Seleusa any longer than he had to. When he thought about all those wasted years, where he had sought something to fill the void left behind by her absence, only to find out she had always known he was a Force adept, filled Vin with no small amount of anger. Those were years he could have spent with the Jedi before their ranks were so completely decimated by the Emperor and Vader. She had stolen that from him by not telling him the truth. Even though he believed her when she said she had done it for his own good, Vin could not help being resentful.

Despite his deep feelings for Charlotte which would always remain no matter what course their lives had taken, he knew the power she had over him was broken, perhaps for all time. He had come to Seleusa on the strength of a promise and once he delivered her and her daughter to the Alliance, his ties with Charlotte could be severed forever. 

In truth, part of his desire for haste had to do with Chris’s premonition he would soon find himself face to face with Darth Vader. Vin was not customarily one who felt fear. As a bounty hunter, it was impossible to let the emotion have too much power over him. The nature of the work required courage and sometimes more stubborness then sense. Vin knew he fulfilled both requirements with ease but Vader _frightened_ him.

Vader frightened Vin because it was not his physical body that was so endangered but rather his mind. Vader could climb inside his head and attack the part of his psyche he allowed access to no one, not even Chris. However, even that terrifying exposure would not be as devastating if Vader managed to extract the location of the child from his mind. The boy had to be protected at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing Vin’s life to maintain his safety.

It was betraying Luke Skywalker that frightened Vin even more than dying.

"We have to get off this ship." Vin declared after a few seconds of regaining his composure where he fortified his inner shields to ensure the secret of Skywalker did not reach either Vader or Charlotte. After abusing his confidence in the way she had, he was not ready to trust her with such a secret. If she learnt about the child, Vin could not be certain she would not use that knowledge to save her daughter Lilith. As much as he hated to think she would do something so heinous, he had to at least consider the possibility when the stakes were as high as they were. Whether or not Charlotte sensed his suspicions about her, she did not say and was more focused on their immediate concerns. 

"Even if we left Seleusa, there’s no way we’re going get past an Imperial destroyer." She pointed out as they waded through the sea of bodies that were presently on the promenade deck of the herdship. The entire deck was a wide, open plan area contained only by the plexiglass walls that allowed its occupants to look out in the sprawling vista of landscape that was Ithor. Azure blue skies eliminated the need for artificial illumination as Ithor’s sun shone through the glass. The promenade itself contained stalls scattered throughout the deck sporadically, its vendors selling everything from foods, to exotic baubles of native Ithorian art.

"Well I’m not staying around to get caught." Vin returned shortly as they neared the glass. "Where is she?"

Charlotte paused and swept her gaze through the faces admiring the view outside. Human and non-human alike were staring at the scenery in the same awe. It was difficult not to when all they could see was an idyllic landscape of lush, green vegetation. A veil of mist lingered outside was just thin enough to allow onlookers the spectacular view. She wished she could have allowed Lilith to enjoy this a little more since it was her daughter’s first interstellar trip. Lilith spent her whole life on Atura and Charlotte was sad her first trip away would be fraught with so much danger.  

"Mommy!" Lilith’s voice found her first.

Charlotte and Vin turned sharply to the sound of the cheery voice in time to see a little girl with flaxen colored hair bounding eagerly towards her mother. She paused slightly at the sight of Vin and for a few seconds, powerful blue eyes stared at him in curiosity as well as wariness. Vin tried to offer the child a little smile to disarm her anxiety at being in the company of someone she did not know but Lilith nonetheless continued to stare at him, even after Charlotte had swept her little girl into her arms. Following Lilith closely was Maria, a sultry beauty that reminded him of Inez if he had known the lady a decade earlier. Vin made a mental note that when they returned to the rebellion to warn her about Buck.

"Lilith," Charlotte looked at Vin. "This is Vin. He’s an old friend of mine." 

"Hey." Vin greeted her, wondering why those familiar blue eyes were scrutinizing him with such depth.

Lilith did not respond and continued to study him, an unfathomable expression on her serious little face. Vin was almost tempted to probe her mind to see what it was about him she found so intriguing but invading a child’s mind was beneath a Jedi and so he restrained himself, deciding the less he had to do with her the better. She was Will Richmond's child and no matter how much Vin might have hated that fact once, it was true, she like her mother was a part of his life he was going to try and distance himself from when this was over. 

"Is there something wrong my Lady?" Maria asked anxiously, knowing Charlotte enough to note that the situation had become infinitely more tense since the last time they had been together.

"Vader is here." She said tautly. "If he hasn’t sensed us yet, which is extremely unlikely, he soon will." 

"How did you get here?" Vin asked. "Commercial transport?" That might have been the most logical way to track their departure from Atura to Ithor.

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "I have my own ship." 

"You docked under your own name?" Vin stared at her, hoping she was not that careless. 

"Of course not!" She declared indignantly, wondering how he could think of being so foolish. "Will bought the ship…" her voice trailed away and dismay etched into her features. "Vader could have gotten the registry codes from him."

Vin tried not to be affected by the fear he saw in her eyes for her husband and old feelings of jealousy surfaced inside him where they had no business being. He crushed the emotion mercilessly and looked down to see the little girl staring at him again. Why did she keep doing that? 

"Alright, if they’re on the look out for your ship, they won’t be keeping an eye for mine. Vader doesn’t know our history." 

That was something anyway, Charlotte thought to herself. "You think we can sneak out of Ithorian airspace?" 

"I hope so," Vin replied as he gestured them to start following him as he made his way to the space port. "Vader can sense us through the Force, getting past him won’t be easy. If we can keep ahead of him long enough to jump into hyperspace, we should be okay." 

However, Charlotte could read the thoughts he did not say and knew perfectly well his words were a far cry from the reality depicted in his mind and that reality did not give them much hope of survival beyond Ithor, let alone making the desperate jump into hyperspace.

* * *

Mary sat in the command chair of her bridge and let a bemused smile cross her face whenever she glanced in the direction of Buck Wilmington who was occupying an observer’s station on the command deck. The pilot kept glancing at the helm of the great ship, trying to hide the fact he was bored out of his mind and would have preferred to fly his own ship the  _Rogue_  towards Ithorian space. At the moment, the freighter was nestled comfortably in one of the berths within the  _Purgatory_ , a state of affairs Mary was certain was driving Buck mad with distraction. The pilot was used to flying himself from place to place and seeing someone else at the controls was more than he could stand. In contrast, JD Dunne had been talking to all the bridge officers, learning what they did even though the boy was a born fighter pilot if Mary had ever seen one.

"Buck," Mary stifled a smile as she pointed her gaze at the Correllian. "Is everything alright?"

"I’m fine," Buck muttered with a hint of annoyance. He kept staring at the helm station, wishing all kinds of terrible things upon the poor lieutenant who was piloting, just so the Mon Calamarian would vacate the helm and he could have a shot a piloting the warship.

"I see." Mary exchanged a glance with Chano who knew just as well as she did what was bothering Buck and shared the same amusement. "Have you ever piloted a Nubian warship before?"

"How hard can it be?" Buck returned cockily, earning a snort of derision from the helm officer, as evidenced by the surge of bubbles in the breathing helmet she wore around her head.

"A warship isn’t like flying a Correllian freighter full of illegal modifications Buck. They don’t handle nearly as well and they take a great deal of concentration. From your service record, you hardly logged any star time at a helm of warship." 

"A ship is a ship," Buck returned. "I ain’t met one yet I couldn’t handle. I’m that way with women too." He winked in her direction. 

"That explains you and Louisa anyway." Mary returned not at all offended. She had gotten used to Buck’s manner around women. He was hardly sexist but he could not help flirting around women.  

"What is it with you two anyway?" Buck asked, knowing full well that both women had little love for each other. However to be fair, the relationship had improved to a point where their hostility was displayed only by the digs they took at each other’s expense which Buck was starting to suspect was more an indulgence in friendly mischief between the two than any real dislike. 

"Nothing you should ask about if you want me to let you have a crack at piloting this bird." Mary gave him a warning look.

"Consider the question withdrawn." Buck retorted. "You’d really let me have a shot at piloting this baby?" 

"I would if you stopped calling my ship a baby. The  _Purgatory_  is a warship, a bird of prey in the sky. She is certainly no infant." Mary responded with a hint of pride in her voice.

"And you say I’m touchy about the  _Rogue_." Buck retorted with a smile.

"Touché," Mary answered smoothly. "If you like, you can take us out of hyperspace when we get to Ithor." 

"I wouldn’t mind trying, I mean if that kid at helm can do it, I’m sure I can." Buck said loudly enough for the lieutenant to look over her shoulder and offer another annoyed snort, creating more bubbles in her water filled helmet.

"You’re charming Buck." Mary shook her head with a chuckle.

 "So many women say that." He grinned at her. 

"Commander," Chano suddenly spoke up as he was delivered some alarming news from the communications officer. "We have a problem." 

The grave expression on his way immediately cut short the banter between Mary and Buck. The rebel leader swung around in her chair and faced her executive officer, her slender frame tensing as she waited for him to tell her news she was certain was not good. Even Buck had straightened up in anticipation of what was coming.

"What is it?" Mary asked.

"It’s a transmission from one of our informants at the Ithorian space registry." Chano began, his expression neutral even though his eyes were filled with concern. "He reports the  _Executor_ has just entered Ithorian orbit."

"Aw hell." Buck mused while Mary remained stone faced, offering no reaction because it was not seemingly for the commander of the ship to show fear. Such a display had a habit of travelling down the change of command quickly, infecting the rest of the crew and instilling their abilities with a sense of hopelessness that could be fatal to the mission.

"How long ago?" Mary asked, inwardly grateful Chris was not here. News like this would have him chewing at the bit and there was nothing worse than a Jedi with an attitude.

"One standard hour." Chano replied automatically.

"How long until we reach Ithor?" She directed her question at the helm. 

"5 hours." The lieutenant replied. "At maximum burn." 

"Buck," Mary took a deep breath, thinking quickly. Something had to be done. "How long will it take the  _Rogue_?" 

"Three hours." Buck answered automatically, quickly grasping the plan she was putting together.  

"The  _Executor_ is a superstar destroyer." Mary continued. "It’s a big ship, at least five times the size of a normal destroyer. It’s armament is greater than a dreadnought. It’s got multi-array sensor capabilities and an extremely powerful tractor beam. If I’m not mistaken it has a fighter complement of four squadrons, that’s almost as much as a space station. If you go in first, that’s what you’ll be facing."

"I know," Buck stared at her understanding the risks all too well. He glanced at JD briefly and the young man nodded in his direction, telling Buck he was ready to accompany him no matter what the danger. "But it’s got to be done."

"I don’t want you to give away your presence," Mary said firmly. Buck had a tendency to act first and think later. The situation as simply too dangerous for such recklessness. "You will go to Seleusa and try to locate Vin. If the Empire has him, we need to know if he is still on Seleusa or if he was taken on board the  _Executor_. With any luck, he’ll be on Seleusa still and we have some chance of getting him off the planet before its too late."

"Vin won’t let Vader take him alive." Buck responded softly.

"I know," Mary sighed, aware of this possibility. "So we’ve got to let him know we are in a position to help him if he has been captured."

Buck nodded but the truth was, if Vin was captured already and taken on board the  _Executor_ , they would never get him back alive.

* * *

Vin did not allow himself him any satisfaction when they reached the  _Tracker_  without incident. Port authorities had nary raised a brow at the  _Tracker's_  request for immediate departure. Vin felt unsettled by the ease of their confrontation with Ithor's space officials but could not pin down for certain whether or not his wariness had to do with Vader's near overwhelming effect on his psyche or a genuine threat. Nevertheless this uncertainty plagued him as they nestled in the cockpit of his ship and he began preparing his ship for launch.

"You were right," Charlotte remarked as she took her place in the co-pilot seat next to him. "They're not looking for your ship."

Vin saw her seated in the co-pilot's seat and found his mood souring. "Well that doesn't mean anything. Getting past the Ithorians is one thing, getting past the Empire is something else entirely."

Charlotte did not say a word, aware that his acidic demeanor was directed at her betrayal of him no matter how much he tried to put it behind him. Hiding the hurt she felt at his manner, Charlotte told herself again, he still felt for her but he had every right to be angry. She should have told him the truth, not only because he needed to know what he was but also because he had the right to choose his fate and she had denied him that by remaining silent. Taking a moment to compose herself, Charlotte kept her face turned away not only from Vin but also from Lilith. It would not do for her daughter to see her in such a state when they were in so much peril.

The  _Tracker's_  engines fired a second later, lifting the ship gently off the landing pad following the opening of the enormous bay doors overhead. The craft soared through the opening and continued at cruising speed into the atmosphere. Once again, their departure had not raised any attention and while Vin did not feel as if they had made good their escape; at least one hurdle had been crossed. He tried not to think of the behemoth waiting for them in the skies above Ithor, the silent predator they could not see but could definitely feel. Charlotte said nothing about Vader but Vin was wondering why the dark lord was going to so much trouble to get his hands on one child.

Chris had led him to believe that the extermination of the Jedi was for the purposes of the Emperor having no one to challenge him, not to create a dark order of Sith Lords. Traditionally the Sith Lords composed of a Master and an Apprentice, the most basic of Jedi relationships; a school of Sith Lord apprentices though frightening in its possibility seemed unlikely. Vin remained silent about his suspicions because he was feeling a little guilty at how he was regarding Charlotte and knew he had hurt her. He could sense it despite her efforts to hide it from him. If there was not so much emotional connection between them, she might have succeeded in her efforts.

Although he felt uncomfortable talking to her about their past in the company of her daughter and her companion, Vin did not want her to feel any worse than she already had. Charlotte acted as she had not out of any sense of malice but a desire to protect him. No matter what he might think about her actions, he could not deny \what was done had been borne out of her love for him. He was not blameless for what had transpired between them six years ago and so it was very selfish of him to be judgmental when his behavior had not been any more honorable than hers.

"Charlotte," he said gently. "We'll get out of here, I promise."

She turned to face him because of the tenderness in his voice and met his gaze. "I am sorry Vin. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know that." Vin answered. "I just missed you for so long and suddenly my life started moving past you. I never expected to see you again."

Charlotte was about to answer when suddenly, a sharp beeping sound filled the air and immediately drew Vin's attention to a console screen at the corner of the cockpit control board. They had just breached the atmosphere and Vin had set the coordinates for their jump into hyperspace when the alert was sounded. Vin saw the readings on the screen and knew his worst fears were confirmed. While he could not see the ship on the screen yet, he knew it would be a matter of seconds before they received a visual sighting. The ship was moving into intercept trajectory and would reach them in a matter of seconds.

"Mommy look!" Lilith cried out.

"By the Force!" Maria's exclamation followed.

Vin looked up and saw the great ship sail into view of the cockpit window. He had heard about the  _Executor's_ size from those who had seen it but it was nothing compared to the reality before him. For an instant, he was gripped with nothing less than awe as he saw the ship which made star destroyers looked infinitesimal. It seemed to fill the sky as it soared towards them, its engines seemingly like comets forcing a huge dark star forward. Vin swallowed thickly and reminded himself that if they did not escape that floating behemoth now, they never would. Wasting no time, he let his fingers fly across the cockpit controls, altering his trajectory to take his ship as far away from the giant warship.

More emergency signals began sounding throughout the cockpit confines and since Vin was too busy trying to put some distance between the  _Tracker_  and the super star destroyer, Charlotte assumed the office of the chair she was occupying. "They're moving into intercept!"

"We've got to get out of their tractor beam range!" Vin shot back as the  _Tracker_  made a sharp turn away from the  _Executor_ and began surging ahead.

"They're in pursuit." Charlotte reported, her eyes watching the screen told her the _Executor_ was bearing them on them hard.

Vin poured more power to the engines, hoping to outrun the craft in order to make the jump to lightspeed but the _Executor_ was the most sophisticated ship in the Imperial fleet and she wanted her prey badly. No sooner than that thought crossed his mind, the  _Tracker_  shuddered violently. The floor under his feet seemed to give way as the ship dipped sharply to a side. Without being told he knew the _Executor_  was firing upon them. The blast that bombarded his ship was not enough to destroy the Slipstream cruiser but continued assault would polarize her deflector shield and disable their ability to jump to hyperspace. He thought quickly, they had one chance and one chance alone to escape the _Executor_ before they were battered into submission.

"Charlotte, set course 3.3.4." Vin instructed and prayed to the Force, he was not making a fatal mistake by this desperate inspiration.

"What?" She stared at him in astonishment. "Are you serious?"

"Do it!" He ordered sharply.

Charlotte swallowed hard, wondering if he was mad but capitulating to the realization they had no choice. "The course set."

"My lady, what is happening?" Maria asked as she clutched Lilith closely. The little girl terrified by the situation was clinging to young woman since her mother was busy helping with the business of keeping them alive.

"We've changed course. We're not going to make the jump to hyperspace." Charlotte answered softly.

"But why?" Maria asked horrified by the idea that they would be remaining in Ithorian space.

"Because we'll never gain enough speed or distance away from that ship to make the jump." Vin retorted. "There's only one place we can go right now that the _Executor_ can't follow us and that's into the atmosphere."

"Back to the herdship?" She questioned once again, dubious about the plan as it was.

"No," Vin shook his head. "I have a feeling that this time around, they won't be so eager to let us back in. So we're going down to Ithor itself. We're going to land."

 


	9. Extremes

Admiral Jeya swallowed deeply as he proceeded towards the Sith Lord staring through the huge pexiglassed windows of the bridge at the planet below them.

No doubt, Vader already knew the news Jeya was bringing to him but that did not make the admiral’s fear any less. Vader was known to have little tolerance at failure and the number of commander who died at his hands made him just as infamous. All these facts were prevalent in Jeya’s mind when he approached the tall man completely encased in black. He could have been mistaken for a dark statue if not for the raspy breath heard through the audio amplifiers of his cybernetic armor. For some, that hoarse electronic breathing could follow them into their nightmares as it had for Jeya on numerous occasions since he had become master of the  _Executor_ , Vader’s personal ship. 

There was no need for Jeya to announce himself upon reaching Vader. There was not a person on board who could sneak up upon the dark lord, not unless they were a Jedi but those too were becoming extinct, thanks to the efforts of Vader and the emperor. Even though Jeya was informed their mission to Ithor was for the purpose of capturing an important member of the Rebel Alliance, Jeya did not believe that was all there was to it. The expenditure of using a super star destroyer to retrieve one rebel seemed excessive and Jeya had started to suspect the illusion of capturing a rebel insurrectionist was incidental to a hidden purpose Vader had not deign to reveal. Not that he wanted to know of course. It was wiser to remain oblivious to the business of the Sith Lord and the Emperor if one wanted to survive in the new order. 

"Yes Admiral." Vader broke the silence in his heavy, ominous voice. "You have something to report?" 

Jeya swallowed thickly, trying to hide his anxiety before answering. "Yes my Lord. As you may have seen, the  _Tracker_  has entered the Ithorian atmosphere. I believe they will take refuge in one of the herdships. It may be necessary for us to send our agents to make a more direct retrieval." 

"Your stupidity does not cease to amaze me Jeya." Vader swung around, his dark cloak flowing around him as he faced the frightened Admiral. "Vin Tanner is no fool. He will not return to the herdships. He knows the Ithorians probably monitored his departure and the hostilities above their planet. They will not offer him sanctuary in any of their cities now they now we are involved. He has one choice only, to land on the surface of Ithor itself." 

"The Ithorians will go mad!" Jeya exclaimed. "They consider home soil to be sacred! They’ll kill him before we ever get our hands on him." 

"Tanner is a Jedi." Vader stared at him through his mask. "The Ithorians will not catch him." 

Jeya began to understand once he was provided with that information. "He may elude us if he makes it to the surface, my Lord. The Ithorians will not permit our stormtroopers to land in order to make a search, we may have to wait him out until..." 

"There will be no waiting." Vader cut him off. "The Ithorians are member of the Empire, they will allow the search once we’ve made our point." 

Jeya’s blood ran cold. "How would we do that my Lord?" 

"Bring the  _Executor_ closer to the atmosphere and target the herdship closest to the landing coordinates of the  _Tracker_." Vader ordered.  

"That would be Cathomira. Lord Vader, there are 1 million people in that city," Jeya declared. "Some of them are loyal Imperial citizens." His horror had overridden his natural fear to make that declaration. 

"Compassion is misplaced in a man of your rank Admiral." The dark lord hissed. "The Emperor has long disapproved of Ithor’s arrogance in believing its position as a producer of food should place it above the interests of the Empire. We will rectify after this day. Now carry out the order." 

"Sir," Jeya protested further, his courage not completely deserting him yet. "Not all the inhabitants of Cathomira are Ithorians, some are humans." 

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good Admiral." Vader retorted, starting to get impatient with the man and all his questions. "This will bring our prey forward without having to expend any considerable man power in retrieving him. Now I have indulged you long enough Admiral," his voice became sinister with warning. "Carry out the order or I shall find someone else who can." 

The threat was clear and in the face of his absolute certainty he would die here and now if he said another word in protest or questioned the dark lord further, Jeya’s courage evaporated completely. "Yes Lord Vader." 

With that, he turned on his heels and walked away, eager to put some distance between himself and the dark lord whose decision just condemned a million people to their deaths.

* * *

Klaxons were screaming across the ship as the  _Tracker_  breached the perimeter grid surrounding the planet’s surface.

The Grid as it was known to native Ithorians was a highly sophisticated security net employed by the Planetary Agricultural Sector to prevent illegal incursions into the rich farming land by smugglers and other non-authorized persons. Only harvester ships and planter vessels were allowed to land on Ithor. Harvesters collected the profitable food crops for processing and export off world, while planter ships did exactly as their name implied, planted new seeds to replace the ones reaped during the harvest. Only ships possessing the appropriate access codes could allow passage through the net without alerting every alarm attached it.

Unfortunately, the  _Tracker_  had no such permissions and when the Slipstream cruiser penetrated the Grid, it immediately set off all the alarms and sent Ithorian security forces scrambling to their ships in order to hunt down the trespassers. Vin was aware of the danger when he changed course and headed towards the surface. However, he was more certain of their chances against the Ithorians than he was of the _Executor_ and at this moment, the agrarian race seemed the lesser of the two evils. Vin estimated a matter of minutes before the first Ithorian ship fell into pursuit and immediately sought a suitable landing site so they could avoid an aerial chase.

"Everybody brace yourselves!" Vin shouted as they skimmed the surface of Ithor, swooping past fields after fields of farmland, ranging from arable across the flat even terrain to terrace farming on the slopes of high mountains. It seemed as if every inch of Ithor had been used for farming.

"Why?" She looked at him. 

"Because we’re going to have company soon and it’s going to get rough." 

"Ithorians?" She asked, hating the idea of dragging more innocents into their flight from Vader. 

"Planetary Security," Vin confirmed. "However, I don’t think the Ithorians will fire on us because we’re too close to the surface. Ship’s blasters might harm the vegetation and they won’t have that. Chances are they’ll try and force us to land."

"I thought we wanted to land." Maria asked, wishing this flight was over and trying to hide the fact that she was almost as frightened as Lilith.  

"Not under their control." Charlotte answered before Vin could. "Ithorians aren’t stupid, they’ll hand us over to Vader to save their own skins. They riding a thin line with the Empire as it is. The Emperor has no love for them even if they are a substantial food producer. If anything that makes it worse. The Emperor hates having to rely on a non-human world. It wouldn’t take much for him to come in and completely subjugated the population." 

"I’ve got three ships coming in on attack vector," Vin announced as he saw the readings on the screen of the cockpit controls. "They’re going to try and box us in to force us to the ground." 

"What are you going to do?" Charlotte asked fearfully as she looked out the window and searched for the ships they had yet to see. 

Vin did not respond; his attention was too focussed on the ships closing in on them. He could see them accelerating from the readings on the screen next to him and knew they would soon try to trap him. Instead of giving them that opportunity, Vin diverted more power to his thrusters and the  _Tracker_  surged forward, slamming its occupants into their seats with a sudden jolt. The land beneath them began to sweep past faster, green fields blurring until the colour became a blend of vegetation, earth and water. Behind them, the Ithorians ships raced to catch up but Vin was utilizing his Jedi reflexes and he managed to navigate the twists and turns of the terrain with a little more advantage than his pursuers. 

The  _Tracker_  flew close to the ground, so much so Vin could almost feel the tops of trees and other natural formations scraping the bottom hull of the craft as they skimmed across the surface. Communications indicators were flashing at him repeatedly, no doubt trying to convey the message of warning from the Ithorians they were trespassing on protected terrain. Vin had no desire to hear what he guessed would be the standard message warning them they would be boarded if they did not comply with the directives to break out of Ithorian space. Studying the readings of the ships following them, Vin deduced they were short ranged pursuit vessels. This meant they were not equipped for an extended chase and had only a limited amount of fuel before they would have to break off and return to base. Fortunately, the  _Tracker_  did not have that problem and unless a phalanx of TIE fighters joined the pursuit, Vin could keep going until he exhausted the Ithorian efforts and they were forced to discontinue. 

Suddenly, Vin saw a number of other blips appear on the console screen. He counted a dozen and those ships were coming in fresh and from a completely different location. They were preparing to surround the  _Tracker_  and cut off its route of escape. Vin immediately pulled up, forcing the  _Tracker_  to begin climbing towards the stratosphere once more to avoid from being hemmed in by the Ithorian ships. The Slipstream barely made it past the kill zone the Ithorians attempted to create around them and as the  _Tracker_  continued its ascent, Vin knew that he would have to open fire on them or else they would never be able to land on the Ithor. 

"I’m going to have to open fire." He said after a pause. 

"Vin are you sure?" Charlotte asked as she turned to him at that statement. She was trying not to let her fear get the better of her but she had come to the same conclusion he had even though she was not flying. She could feel his attempt to avoid shooting innocents but they no longer had a choice. Their options were dwindling with each passing moment and there was no other recourse left to them. 

"We have to get past them." Vin sighed heavily. "If we don’t get past them and they take us alive, it's over. You know that." 

Their eyes met and she nodded. Yes she did know that for a fact. "You get past them," she offered after a moment. "I’ll take the gunnery turret." 

"Can you handle it?" Vin stared at her, unaware of how much experience she had. Unfortunately, he needed to focus on getting past the Ithorians and could use her help in manning the guns.  

"Yes," she nodded taking a deep breath. She knew he could see just how fearful she was, not only of letting them down at this crucial point but because it had been a long time since she had used her Jedi abilities. Fear for her child had forced her to hide the best part of herself and though it was good to finally admit openly what she was, Charlotte could not help feeling the awesome weight of responsibility that came with being a Jedi. "Yes," she said after instilling herself with resolve. "I can do it." 

Vin gave her a look of understanding before facing front again. "I'm going to do everything I can to shake them. I want you disable their ships. I don't want to hurt them unless I can help it but we have to get them off our backs before the _Executor_ decides to give them some help with a squadron of TIEs." 

Charlotte absorbed his words and unfastened herself from the seat in order to reach the  _Tracker_ 's gunnery turret. Vin took a deep breath and faced front again. The ship was starting to enter the upper atmosphere and Vin knew that if they entered space once more, they would come under a renewed attack by the _Executor_. Turning the  _Tracker_  sharply towards the surface once more, the Slipstream cruiser sliced through the air as it surged back towards land. Immediately he saw the pursuing Ithorian ships falling into pursuit and knew that they would be converging upon the  _Tracker_  as soon as it made another attempt to land. Fortunately, the Ithorian Runners were not made for upper atmosphere. Their purpose was mainly to chase away trespassers from their territory, which gave Vin some room for maneuvering. 

Unfortunately, the  _Tracker_  could not remain airborne for very long and the _Executor_ was no doubt monitoring their progress within the atmosphere. Somehow, he simply had to land. There was no other recourse. If the _Executor_ did not capture the  _Tracker_ , the TIE fighters it would soon send against them, would. The sound of approaching Runners could be heard by the increased pace of digital beeping emanating through the cockpit the closer they reached the surface. Vin could see them spreading out around his ship once more, preparing to ambush him in the same pattern used earlier. 

"Charlotte." Vin spoke up knowing that audio receivers in the gunnery turret would allow her to hear him. "They're moving in for the kill. Are you ready?" 

"Yes." She answered. Her voice was still a little uncertain but he could feel her resolve even from the captain's seat. "Let's do this." 

The  _Tracker_  surged into the kill zone with gun ports firing. The blasts were accurate, owing to Charlotte's amazing reflexes thanks to her adeptness with the Force. The initial blasts served to force the Runners to fall back, taking them by surprise because their prey had taken so long to fire, they believed the Slipstream craft was incapable of doing so. For a few precious seconds, they were disorientated by the vehemence of the attack and debated what was to be done. To fire on the enemy craft could mean harming the vegetation they were so determined to protect. However, their prey was not limited by such considerations. Once Charlotte overcame her anxiety, the rest came easily and the gun ports began to fire with such speed the pilots in the Runners had difficulty coping with the barrage.  

In the meantime, Vin was navigating through the aerial traps the Runners were attempting to ensnare them in an effort to make the laser assault ineffective. However, Vin was much too seasoned a pilot to fall for such tricks and Buck always said the best way to outwit a computer guidance system on another craft was to ensure you didn't fly using your own. Vin used the Force to guide him through the zig zagging ships crossing his path, determined to bring them down. The  _Tracker_  was his ship and he knew what she was capable of doing. With Charlotte at the gunnery turret, they were a deadly combination and ships began falling out of the sky as Charlotte followed Vin's advice and disabled the Runners instead of outright destroying them.

The Ithorians, whose pysiological differences made their reflexes slower, were no match for a full Jedi and an apprentice. Very soon, all the Runners were either limping ineffectively behind them in vain hope to catch up or had simply broken off the pursuit, returning to their ships to tend to their damaged crafts before they crashed on the surface. After what seemed like an eternity of time, the  _Tracker_  was alone in the sky once more and Vin found himself letting out a heavy sigh of relief as the danger passed for the moment. 

"I don't think I want to do that again in a hurry." Vin muttered as he fell back into his captain's seat once he had found a suitable place for them to land. He had elected to land the  _Tracker_  in a series of canyons that were one of the few places on Ithor considered unsuitable for farming. The high walls and meandering paths would allow them an avenue of escape should Vader sent out TIE fighters after them.  

"Are we safe?" Maria asked gingerly, almost afraid he was going to say they were not. 

"For now," Vin sighed. "The Ithorians are going to regroup. Chances are they're going to ask the Empire for help." 

"How long do we have until they come for us?" She asked once again, the fear in her eyes was more than evident.  

"Not long enough," he did not look at her when he answered. He could still feel Lilith's gaze burning into his back and reminded himself when this was all over, he was going to find out what it was about him the child found so fascinating. "I'm kind of surprised Vader hasn't sent a whole bunch of ships after us. They're never been particular about minding anyone's territory. I can't understand why they haven't come after us."

"They want us alive." Charlotte retorted as she came through the cockpit door and took her seat in the co-pilot's seat. Now that the danger has subsided for the moment, it did not take long for Lilith to break away from Maria's grip to wrap her arms around her mother's neck and hold on tight in anticipation of a comforting embrace.

"We're okay baby," Charlotte reassured her daughter with a smile as she sat the girl in her lap after taking her seat. "We're gonna be okay." 

Vin watched mother and daughter together and could not deny Charlotte's love for her child was admirable. Once again, the wish Lilith had been his, surfaced and Vin brushed it aside as foolishness, knowing it was never meant to be. Still, so much would have been different if the little girl had been his own child. They would not be strangers right now. They would have been family. It was in the past, he decided and Vin did not want to let it harm their future friendship, if that was all that was left to them. "You did good Charlotte." 

"Its been a while," she smiled, her mood a great deal better now she was holding her daughter safely in her arms. "I'd forgotten what it was like." 

"The rebellion can use all the Jedis it can find." Vin added as the  _Tracker_  started descending into the canyon. The illumination from Ithor's sky suddenly disappeared as the canyon walls surged up around them, blocking out the sunlight. "There aren't many of us left." 

"Your Master," Charlotte asked. "Who is he?" 

"Chris Larabee." Vin replied, finding it strange to be talking not just to another Jedi but to a Jedi that was Charlotte. He never thought  he would meet another one other than Chris and Yoda who was hiding out in Dagobah. 

"I know Larabee." Charlotte replied, her features etching in recognition. "He fought in the Clone Wars. For that matter, so did I." 

"You fought in the Clone Wars?" Vin turned to her in surprise. 

"Yes," she nodded. "It was the first time the Jedi had ever became involved in a war but the cause was important enough."

It was indeed. The Clone War was a galactic conflict that would have toppled the Old Republic far more violently then the covert assimilation by Palpatine. The Jedi Order, who had for a long time opted to remain neutral in such conflicts in order to demonstrate their impartiality, joined the cause and it was perhaps the single greatest war ever fought in the galaxy. All the core worlds had participated, Correllia, Coruscant, Sluis Van, Mon Calamari, Nal Hutta and even the Hapes Consortium banded together to fight the common threat. It was their finest hour and a poignant swan song to the dark times soon to descend upon the Republic.

"I lost my father there." She said sadly.

 "I'm sorry," Vin found himself saying. "I didn't know that."

 How could he know, he thought almost instantly. She had never given him the chance to find out.  

Suddenly, what felt like a maelstrom of terror and agony, ripped through his consciousness. The pain was so intense it sliced through his mind with such force for a second, he lost control of his ship and forced the autopilot to take over the descent of the  _Tracker_  into its predesignated coordinates. Vin almost blacked out from the pain and for an instant, he did not know even know where he was. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he thought it might explode. So disorientated was he that he did not even realize the effect on Charlotte was worse. Half dazed, he turned in his direction to see her on the floor next to him, clutching her stomach as if she was going to gag.

"By the Force!" She was sobbing. "By the Force, what did he do?"  

"Mommy!" Lilith was crying out, not understanding what had happened. Maria was on her hands and knees as well, trying to help her mistress to her feet. Vin could share Lilith's fears and her confusion because he was not certain what he had just experienced either. For the first time since this had all began, Vin wished Chris were here to explain it to him. 

"Charlotte," he managed to say, the mind burst still sending shockwaves throughout his system. "What just happened?"

"Oh Vin," she continued to weep, unable to look up at him. "They're all gone! He killed them all!" 

"What?" Vin demanded, those terrible words bringing him out of the fog faster than anything else she could have said. "Who? What are you talking about?" 

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Vader just destroyed a herdship Vin. A million people just died because of us!" she wailed. "Because of _us_!"


	10. Departures

"Buck," JD Dunne glanced at Buck Wilmington as he looked up from the communications section of the cockpit controls of the Rogue. "I'm receiving transmissions from Ithor." 

In the cockpit window before them, the planet Ithor glimmered iridescently against the velvet beauty of space. It was one of the most picturesque worlds in the galaxy and its surface, though one could never land on it, was similarly gifted in its rich, textured landscapes of lush, green vegetation. On more than one occasion during his trips to Ithor, Buck enjoyed the vistas to be seen from the decks of the herdships hovering above the surface. Unfortunately, this was one instance where the journey to Ithor would not allow enough time for such pleasantries. The  _Rogue_  managed to enter Ithorian space, escaping the formidable sensors of the  _Executor_ whose presence above the planet was nothing less than ominous. Buck only hoped its remaining vigil above Ithor, meant they had yet to acquire Vin Tanner. If this was indeed the case, then there was still a chance to retrieve the apprentice before the situation worsened. 

"Transmissions?" Buck returned the younger man's gaze. "What sort?" 

"Well I'm not sure, there's a lot of them." JD responded and tapped his com unit just to ensure it was not hardware malfunction. "There's so much of it. It's almost gibberish." 

"Let me hear it." Buck ordered and JD complied immediately, flicking a switch and filling the cockpit with a cacophony of frantic voices, overlapping over one another. It was almost frenzied. Buck tried to filter out the noise to hear one specific thing but did not help and finally he came to the conclusion all this chaos could have only one cause. "There's some kind of a planetary disaster." He guessed. "I can't imagine anything else that would cause this much excitement down there." 

"What kind of disaster?" JD inquired, immediately running a scan on the planet to find if Buck's supposition were indeed true. 

"You tell me."

JD frowned since it was a rather silly question since he was manning the sensors and continued with his scans, finding no destruction on the surface that could be considered a planetary disaster, no stray meteors findings it way into orbit, no volcanic activity, or seismic disturbances, nothing at all. "Nothing Buck," JD answered after a moment, puzzled. "There's nothing, Its peaceful down there." 

"Could be one of the herdships." Buck suggested. "Check it." He instructed when suddenly the interlapping noises was overshadowed by a powerful transmission slicing through all the others with a burst of static that made both men wince. 

"Damn! What is that?" JD swore as the squeal droned out all the voices. 

"Someone is sending a planetary wide transmission. If there's anything capable of receiving down there, they'll pick this up." Buck explained. "Can you pinpoint its source JD?" 

"Yeah," JD nodded and acted quickly to give Buck a response. It took him a few seconds to complete the task but when he did so, the expression on his face told Buck it was not good news.  

"It's coming from the  _Executor_." 

"Attention citizens of Ithor." A voice started speaking no sooner than after JD had made that revelation. "This is Admiral Jeya of the Imperial flagship _Executor_. As you now aware, we have opened fire on the herdship Cathomira. Ithor is charged with giving aid and comfort to a member of Rebel Alliance and an enemy of the state. Until you surrender him to us, we will begin orbital bombardment of all herdships. You have three hours to comply." 

With that the transmission ended. 

"Hell." Buck gasped, unable to believe that the Empire could resort to such brutality in the capture of one rebel. 

"Buck what are we going to do?" JD looked at him in outright fear. 

"I don't know," Buck replied shaking his head. "Whatever it is, we better do it quick, because to save those people in the herdships Vin is liable to give himself up to Vader." 

* * *

For a moment after the transmission was heard, no one in the cockpit of the  _Tracker_  could speak.  

Charlotte was right, Vader had destroyed the herdship because of them. When she had first stated it, Vin could not believe it. He did not imagine anyone being so callous as to murder a million people just to acquire  _one_  person. The atrocity of it was beyond his ability to comprehend and yet upon hearing the cold blooded demand made by the Admiral of the _Executor_ ; Vin had to concede there were no depths to which human ugliness could sink. The choice before him was clear even though he was terrified of making it. However, he had accepted the consequences of his actions before he embarking upon this journey and now the moment was upon him, he could not change his mind.  

"I have to go." He said quietly. 

"No!" Charlotte returned firmly. "I would never ask you to do that and I don't expect you to." 

"Charlotte it isn't your choice!" Vin snapped. "You heard him! If I don't turn myself in within three hours, he'll shoot down another herdship!" 

"Wait a minute." Charlotte stared at Vin. "Him. That admiral said  _him_ , didn't he?"  

"Yes," Vin nodded wondering what she was getting at when suddenly it struck him too what she was trying to say. "I thought he was after you and Lilith. They're not suppose to know about me." 

"They're not suppose to," Charlotte's mind started racing. "But they  _did_  know about your ship even though they were supposed to be searching for mine. How could they know? You said you had false registration codes since joining the rebellion, unless someone recognized the ship itself, the _Executor_  should not have been able to identify the  _Tracker_."

"You’re right and somehow they knew I was the one who was coming." Vin agreed with her deductions. "Vader couldn't have just sensed me when he dropped out of hyperspace on the _Executor_. I was careful."

"He would have sensed a Jedi, not necessarily you." Charlotte retorted. "Besides, I've been reinforcing your shields with mine. He could not know about you unless he  _knew_  you were coming."

"What?" He stared at her in accusation, not at all liking the idea of her being inside his mind. Her hiding her Jedi ability and his for so long was still a sore point with him. "You've been in my head?"

"Yes," Charlotte nodded as if it was a secondary issue because in truth, it was. Their immediate concerns made the matter of violating his personal space a little trivial at this time. "Considering what you have in there, it was a good thing I did. He would have kept at you until he broke through your defenses."

"You mean you know about..."

"Yes," Charlotte raised her eyes and met his, perfectly aware of why he had concealed things from her and felt a little hurt he would consider her capable of such betrayal. Whatever else she might have done, she was no traitor to the Jedi. "Whatever you may think of me Vin and no matter how justified that opinion might be, I still know what it is to be a Jedi. If keeping what you know a secret from Vader ensures that bastard and his Emperor is destroyed, my life and that of my daughter is worth sacrifice."

"I'm sorry," he started to apologize but there was no apology he could make that would take back the sting of his suspicion and he could feel the hurt inside Charlotte. However, he knew not what else to say that would make that hurt dissipate other than trusting her a little more than he had until now. Charlotte the woman he once loved and the Jedi were two different entities and somehow he had to trust in the latter even if he could not trust in the former. Their survival depended upon it.

"It explains one thing then," she dropped her eyes to her hand and specifically the band of gold around her wrist that had been given to her on the day of her matrimonial. Her face tried not to show the sadness at realizing the truth but there could be no other explanation. "We were set up."

"Set up by whom, my Lady?" Maria asked unable to imagine who could have done it when the only persons knowing about their departure from Atura was presently in the cockpit of the ship. 

"By Will." Charlotte whispered softly, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill over her lashes onto her face. "He set us up."

"I'm sorry," Vin reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, knowing it was cold comfort. As much as he might hate the idea even now, Charlotte did love her husband and she was right, he must be responsible for the situation they now found themselves, although Vin suspected Crawl might have have something to do with it as well. Will Richmond could not have been responsible for this entirely on his own. If Vader were searching for Vin and intended to use Charlotte as bait then there was only one person who could have given him that information and it was Crawl.

While Vin was certain that Crawl would not have surrendered willingly, no doubt he would have told Vader everything he wanted to know after being tortured or simply because Vader had ripped it from his mind. Vin shuddered at the thought and hoped the Modrek was still alive but somehow he doubted it. "But I think Vader would have approached Richmond first. I may not think much of Richmond but I do know he loves you, he wouldn't use you for anything."

Charlotte turned to him in surprise, never believing Vin could be magnanimous enough to be so charitable in his opinion of her husband. Years ago, when Will learnt about her affair with Vin, he had reacted violently, sending thugs who ensured Vin was left in a medical centre long enough for her to be spirited secretly away to the Corporate Sector, out of reach or so Will thought. He had underestimated just how persistent Vin could be and eventually that persistence led to their last meeting where she told him to go. "But he did me Vin. He used me to lead Vader to you. He knew a threat to Lilith would send me fleeing off planet and straight to you for help because I had no one else to turn to." 

"I still don't think he would have sacrificed you." Vin declared. "Not willingly." 

"Perhaps not," she whispered. "But his cooperation ensured you would be captured and I would be the cause. I can't forgive him for that. Because of us and what he did, those million people died when they didn't have to."

Unfortunately Vin could not disagree with that, although for the moment it did not help their situation. "Still doesn’t get us out of trouble." 

"Knowing the presence of a trap or the formulation of one is the first step to keeping from being caught in one." Charlotte remarked and sounded very much like the Jedi she claimed to be. It still took Vin a little bit of getting used to.

"Well we know its there, question is how do we get out of it? At this moment, the only way of getting out this mess is for me to give myself up in exchange for letting you, Lilith and Maria go." Vin answered gravely. He had no wish to be a martyr but the truth was, he could not stand by and let those people die. He would could never live with all those deaths on his conscience, even it meant his own.

"Vader would never keep that promise Vin." Charlotte responded, not about to entertain the idea of his sacrificing himself that way under any circumstances. As it was, she was furious with Will for using her as bait to lure Vin from the safety of the Rebel Alliance, She would never have condoned such an act of betrayal which was precisely why Will did not tell her his plan, she supposed. "He’d wait until you were in his power and then come after us. As grateful as I am for you would take that risk for us, its pointless."

Vin did not think so but he remained silent for the moment. They would try another way to extricate themselves from their present dilemma but if things deteriorated any further, Vin would have to decide whether or not one life was worth the sacrificing if it meant the saving three others.

"Mommy, I’m scared." Lilith responded.

"I know sweetie," Charlotte turned to her child and open her arms so the little girl could come into her embrace for a little comforting. "But this won’t be for long. Soon we’ll be away from here." 

"I’m not afraid of being here," she answered as she nestling unto her mother’s lap. "I’m afraid of the bad man in my head."

Both Charlotte and Vin stared at the child sharply. It was no wonder the child kept staring at him! She could sense Vin just as Vader could now sense her. "Aw hell!" Vin swore. "Could he know where we are?" 

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "Even Lilith doesn’t know, he could not garner enough information from her mind to pinpoint us." 

"He makes me feel cold, mommy." The girl looked at her mother, hoping she would have some way to make the unpleasantness stop, as all mothers often did.  

"Lilith," Charlotte said firmly. "I want you to listen to me carefully. You do not want the bad man in your head, so you need to think that there is a wall between you two. Close your eyes and picture that wall. Imagine it there Lilith, imagine it now." 

Lilith closed her eyes and her face contracted in concentration as she tried to do as instructed, while listening to Charlotte’s voice. After what seemed like an eternity of minutes for those inside the cockpit with her, Lilith finally opened her eyes and responded. "I can feel him going away now mommy. I can feel him behind the wall." 

"Good," Charlotte smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead. "When you think he’s in your head, you just think of that wall and nothing else."

"Is that how you do it mommy?" Lilith asked. 

"More or less." She nodded; proud of her daughter’s achievement; however, the new problem that just surfaced was not lost upon those present. "We have to get out here." 

"I know," Vin agreed, "but that’s easier said then done. Somehow we have to get past the  _Executor_ and make sure they know we’re leaving so Vader doesn’t decide to use the rest of the herdships for target practice."

* * *

With all the activity and panic taking place on board the herdships across the planet, the  _Rogue_ entered Ithorian space without raising barely a hint of interest. As the ship flew into the atmosphere, Buck could only imagine what kind of chaos had been borne out of Vader’s threat to destroy the floating cities. Even as his ship penetrated the skies of Ithor, he could see the mass exodus of ships departing the herdships. Those who were fortunate enough to own ships were speeding away from the planet determined not to get caught in the crossfire between the Empire and its quarry. For those who were not so lucky, there would be bribes and threats for passage off world.  

Despite himself, Buck marveled at the genius of Vader’s strategy even though he did not think Vin would be foolish enough to fall for such a ploy. No doubt, Vader believed Vin might attempt to take advantage of the mass departures and lose the  _Tracker_  in the ships  leaving Ithor, while the  _Executor_ waited like a predator in the dark. However, if Vin did not choose to take the opportunity and remained bound to the planet, the deadline would eventually draw him out because Vin would never allow so many innocents to die for him. Buck was certain he would give himself up rather than face that possibility. 

"They’re all leaving." JD stared in horrified fascination as the ships, ranging from small shuttles, to large cruisers streaked through the sky like vermin deserting a doomed expedition.

"No one wants to be incinerated JD," Buck said tautly. Unable to make his move until they were well beyond the notice of the _Executor_ , Buck had been waiting for their insertion into the atmosphere in order to act. "Alright, we’re under the planetary cloak, I want you to send a message to the  _Tracker_ , using the carrier wave."

"Carrier wave?" JD exclaimed. "But that’s primitive!" 

"I know but Casey came up a with the idea of using a carrier band signal to get past Imperial surveillance. We can’t use scramblers to contact him. They may not be able to track the signal but their sensors will still register one and right now its better if the _Executor_ doesn’t know we’re here."

"Will Vin?" The young co-pilot questioned. "He might not be in the  _Tracker_." 

"He’s in it," Buck said confidently. "If he was on a herdship, the Ithorians would have given him long before the Vader found it necessary to start shooting down them down." 

JD could not fault that logic and decided to question the order no further. "Casey come up with this idea?" JD asked instead and tried not to sound surprised the haughty young woman was so capable despite her sheltered upbringing and her decidedly arrogant aristocratic mannerisms.

 "Yeah." Buck glanced at him cockily. "That girlfriend of yours is pretty smart you know." 

"She’s _not_ my girlfriend," JD barked back. "I hate her." 

"I used to hate the first woman I fell in love with too," Buck returned with a little smile.

  
"So what happened?" JD asked as he began transmitting the message to Vin that they were here and more importantly that he was not alone.  

"Oh not much," Buck grinned at him. "I just married her."

* * *

"It is gone." Vader declared as he continued his vigil by the enormous window on the bridge of the _Executor_.

Since this had become his personal carrier, Vader had come to the begrudging realization this was his favorite location on the great ship. When the _Executor_ sailed away from Coruscant Vader often found himself here, watching the other ships sweep past, seeming infinitesimal in the face of the super star destroyer. It gave him a sense of power and seemed to enhance the fearsome aura around him. The reputation of the _Executor_ alone was already synonymous with Darth Vader. More often than he thought possible, people had begun to associate the arrival of this ship with his presence. Vader did not mind that at all. Fear was good and coupled with the black mask that was more than just a protective armor but the second skin of the man he had become; he felt damn near invincible.

"Gone Sir?" Admiral Neya, prompted by Vader’s statement had left his position on the command deck to investigate.

"I felt the child." Vader answered. "I felt her mind for a brief time." 

"Governor Richmond’s daughter," the Admiral responded in understanding, aware that Charlotte Richmond was once a Jedi and those genes would surely have passed on to her offspring.

"Yes," Vader nodded. "The Force is strong in her." 

"Old enough to begin Jedi training am I correct?" Jeya ventured a guess. He could still remember what it had been like when the Jedi was at the height of their power. Children identified with a massive midiclorion count were soon assimilated by the Jedi order, taken for training before they were handed over to the masters who would oversee their apprenticeship. If the Republic still lived, undoubtedly, Lilith Richmond would have undergone such training. 

"Yes." Vader answered neutrally. 

Jeya stared at the man before him, wondering how the Jedi had been so wrong about Vader. For all their prescience, they could not foresee the danger in making Darth Vader one of them. "How old were you when you undertook the training?"

Vader turned to him slowly and Jeya wondered if he had overstepped his bounds by making so personal inquiry. The Admiral swallowed thickly, anticipating a quick death by way of the invisible talons Vader employed effectively so often. 

"We were not discussing me, Admiral." Vader warned. "We were speaking of the child. When we apprehend Tanner and Richmond's wife, I want the child brought to me."

"To you Lord Vader?" Jeya's brow raised in question. "I thought we were returning her to her father, the Governor." 

"I am altering our bargain with the Governor," Vader retorted sharply. "Considering his complicity in all this, he should be grateful I do not alter it further. When the child is in custody, she will be brought to me." 

"May I ask for what purpose?" Jeya asked before he could question the prudence of the inquiry. 

Vader did not answer but Jeya was certain whatever the reason, it did not bode well for Lilith Richmond at all. 


	11. The Deal

As the time drew closer and closer to the deadline for Vader’s ultimatum, there was still no solution in sight for the occupants of the  _Tracker_  and its captain. There was a great deal of activity taking place in the air and through the communications channels being employed by the Ithorians. Ships were leaving the herdships in a panic to escape the impending destruction promised by Vader in his threat. In the meantime, Ithorians authorities tried desperately to plead their innocence at the accusation of treason as well as clemency for their floating cities. The more Vin listened to the fear and desperation in their voices as they transmitted continuously to the  _Executor_ and were met with repeated indifference, the apprentice knew  he was a harbinger of death for this world.

Charlotte had wanted them to leave with the exodus making it was out of the planet’s atmosphere at this time but Vin knew it would be a grave mistake. Vader was waiting for them to take the opportunity and with so many ships in the air all at one, it was tempting fate to limit their field of escape when the _Executor_ moved in for the kill, which it inevitably would. Thus for the moment, they waited impatiently in the canyon, trying to decide what to do. The Ithorian runners were no longer concerned about capturing them, preferring to expend their energies to disaster relief and search for whatever survivors might be left after the destruction of Cathomira. However, Vin was realistic, they could not wait out this situation any longer, something had to be done. Unfortunately, the apprentice was not prepared to sacrifice himself until after he was sure Charlotte and her family could leave Ithor safely.

"She’s asleep." Charlotte announced as she returned to the cockpit. Both Maria and Lilith were presently in the sleeping compartment of the ship getting some rest. Considering the uncertainty of the next few hours, it was prudent to take the time while they could. Charlotte herself felt a little drained but her mind was too filled with worries about their situation to be able to let down her guard enough to rest herself. Judging by manner in which Vin was staring out the cockpit window into the harsh, rocky terrain beyond the ship, she guessed he was more or less in the same state of mind.

"How are you doing?" She asked even though the emotions she was sensing from him indicated his mood regarding their predicament was anything but optimistic.

"I’m fine," Vin responded. "Best for Lilith to get some rest while she can." He returned in an effort to change the subject.

Charlotte let out a deep sigh and faced front. "We’ll get out of this Vin." She said trying to sound as hopeful as possible. 

"I’m not so much concerned about me getting out of this than I am for you, Lilith and Maria." Vin replied. "I accepted what could happen to me when I came after you." 

"And you still did, even though there’s nothing between us anymore." She stared at him.

Vin turned to Charlotte and met her eyes. "When you told me to go six years ago, something inside me died. I hated you for making me do that even though I knew it was probably the right thing. I couldn’t take care of you or Lilith, no matter what I told myself. I spent who knows how long taking out my hurt on every bounty I claimed, until one day it stopped hurting and I found out life goes on. There wasn’t anyone after you until Alex. I used to blame you for that too but I dive in deep every time I start to care, that’s my weakness but you showed me I could be  _that_  happy Charlotte. You showed me I didn’t have to be lonely and for that there will always be a part of me that loves you."

Charlotte smiled and reached for his hand. "I’ll always love Will." She stated, having no wish to lie to him. "I loved you in a way too. You came to me when I was scared and alone, when I thought my entire world, the world of the Jedi was over. I turned to you for all the wrong reasons Vin and I’m sorry but I did love you. I’m glad you found someone, I’m glad she makes you feel whole. You did that for me once and I’ll never forget it." 

"Chris told me before I left the Alliance I would face Vader and I would die." He said finally. 

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "The future is unclear. Emotions always effect the outcome. What he saw may have been true for the time but now you know what he has seen, it changes things. You know the trap, so you can avoid it."

"I know the trap," he looked at her, "but I don’t think we can avoid it. There’s only one way off this planet Charlotte and that’s through Vader. The important thing here is to get you, Lilith and Maria away safely. What happens to me isn’t that important. I’m not a full Jedi and you are.’

"And do you think that makes you any less deserving to live? We both know if you face Vader, its suicide. He’s not only a full Jedi but also one of the strongest that has ever been. A fully trained Jedi Knight would be hard pressed to defeat him and you have been an apprentice for only a few months."

"Maybe its destiny." Vin retorted, having heard all the reasons for his not going because he had been debating them for quite some time himself. However, for all the arguments and points of contention, one fact remained irrefutable; he had to go. "Charlotte, you’re probably right but I don’t have to win when I fight Vader, I just have to keep him busy enough for you to escape."

"And what about what you know?" She accused desperate to keep them from reaching the decision she knew was fast becoming inevitable. "Don’t you think  _that_  is too important to fall into his hands?"

"I’ll die before he takes it from me." Vin said firmly and so certain of that fact that if nothing else. 

"You can’t keep him out." Charlotte countered.

"Yes, I can. He’ll be too busy fighting me to try and read my thoughts."

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed and she stared at him. "Vin, have you ever fought another Jedi before?"

"I’ve sparred with Chris." He shrugged uncomfortably in his chair. 

"That’s not what I mean." She answered. "I mean actually fight a Jedi to the death?" 

"No." Vin dropped his gaze to the steel deck.

"Well I have and its like nothing you can imagine. Its not just fighting Vin, it’s trying to keep the dark side contained. Its walking a razor’s edge where you have to keep from falling over to the dark side while actually fighting it, to keep the fight defensive, not offensive." She explained. "I’ve done it a few times and it’s a terrible thing to kill one of our own when the dark side has claimed them."

"Charlotte," Vin raised his eyes and touched hers. "There is no other way." 

"How am I going to look your Alex in the eye and tell her I let you do this?" She asked quietly. "If you care nothing for yourself, think about her."

"I do care about her." Vin said quietly, wishing she had not brought up Alex. "I don’t want to do this Charlotte but I  _have_  to."

Suddenly, a console on the cockpit controls flickered to life, indicating with successive flashing on the small screen that something new had developed. Vin immediately caught sight of it and read the message flickering on the digitized screen at two-second intervals.  

"What it is?" Charlotte asked as Vin leaned over for a closer look.

"I’ve got a message coming on a carrier wave band." Vin said with a little smile.

"A carrier wave?" She stared at him in astonishment. "Who uses that anymore?

"The Alliance." Vin retorted shortly and immediately punched in a response through the keypad before the screen. "It’s an emergency frequency we use sometimes when we can’t trust a scrambler. That means someone from the Alliance is here." Vin almost hoped it was Chris but knew it was impossible almost immediately after the thought had crossed his mind. Chris was in no shape to make such a trip, not even the amazing abilities of Jedi recuperation could allow for that.

"What’s the message?" Charlotte asked, a surge of hope moving through her that help had come and that Vin would not have to go through a confrontation with Darth Vader.

"Its from Buck," Vin announced. "Buck Wilmington, a good friend of mine. They’re in Ithorian space. I’m going to tell them where we are."

"Thank goodness." Charlotte exclaimed and eased out of her chair, feeling a flood of relief.

Vin said nothing, keeping carefully hidden even from her that even though Buck’s arrival was a fortuitous, it did not change their situation. The  _Rogue_  was no more capable of escaping the  _Executor_ than the  _Tracker_  had been and with Lilith and Charlotte on board, there was no guarantee that Vader would not be able to pinpoint them on the ship. If anything, the arrival of Buck Wilmington convinced Vin it was now possible for him to be sure if he went to face Vader, Charlotte and the others would be safe.

* * *

It did not take long for the  _Rogue_  to find the canyon the  _Tracker_  used for a temporary refuge from the Imperial ship in orbit around Ithor. Buck was relieved to know the apprentice was still in one piece, having entertained some rather disturbing thoughts they might have been too late, that Vin had already gone to Vader in order to save the Ithorians from further destruction. As the Correllian freighter landed inside the corridor through the mountain, Buck was impressed by Vin’s selection of a hiding place and was glad the young man had not done anything rash.

"How’s Chris?" Vin asked first when the three friends were finally reunited and introductions were made. They had retired to the passenger cabin of the  _Tracker_ , where they could talk for a moment about the crisis they were presently embroiled and how they would extricate themselves from it. 

"Well he was more than ready to climb out of bed to come after you." Buck said with a frown. "Took Mary and me quite bit of talking before we convinced him to let us handle it."

"Mary?" Vin stared at him in surprise because the commander of the rebel base was absent. "Where is she?"

"She’s two hours behind us." Buck explained, observing Charlotte as he spoke. She was a pretty thing, not quite what Buck expected actually but just the kind of looks that would make someone like Vin go off and do something stupid, he supposed. "She’s coming on board the  _Purgatory_."

"She shouldn’t," Vin frowned unhappy about that. "The  _Purgatory_ ’s no match for a ship like the  _Executor_."

"The  _Purgatory_  is a warship?" Charlotte ventured a guess. 

"Yeah," JD nodded in response. "A Nubian with a lot of refitting to make it a match for any destroyer." There was almost a hint of pride in the young man’s voice but then he had every right to feel that way. Since coming under Mary’s command, the  _Purgatory_  had much reason to be so celebrated among the members of the Rebel Alliance, almost all of Mary’s victories in space had been on the bridge of the  _Purgatory_.

"Not the  _Executor_ ," Vin returned crisply.  

"Relax Vin," Buck interceded before this conversation went any further. "Mary’s not going to engage the _Executor_ , she’s not that crazy. She intends to run a little interference for us so we can make the jump into hyperspace."

However Vin was not about to concede that their problems were over. "Did you hear the transmission from the _Executor_?" He asked the older man.

Buck nodded grimly, meeting both Charlotte’s gaze and that of the apprentice. While Vin was determined, Charlotte appeared afraid and if it was Vin’s intention to play martyr, then Buck could very well understand her anxiety. "I heard it. They’re trying to make you give yourself up Vin, pure and simple."

"Unfortunately it’s working." Vin retorted. "If I don’t show in two hours, they’re going to destroy another herdship."

"Only because they think you’re still hiding out." Buck pointed out. "When we get past them, they’ll know different and abandon the target practice. Look, Vader may get away with one city but he won’t with two, I’m sure he knows it. Ithor is a rich planet and holds considerable importance in the food supply of the Empire; they can’t afford to alienate them too much. The destruction of the first herdship was to show the Ithorians the Empire could do it. If they went in for a second, there will be a mass riot that even the Emperor is going to have to explain and I don’t think he wants to tell the Imperial Senate his henchman shot down a city because of one man."

"Listen to him," Charlotte declared, glad she was not the only one who was opposed to Vin making a sacrifice of himself. "He’s right."

Buck’s argument though good did not sway the young apprentice because the government that would allow the slavery of dozens of worlds would have little difficulty in accepting the injustices presently taking place on Ithor, Vin was sure of it. "Well we should take advantage of the fact they don’t know about the  _Rogue_." 

"That’s a idea." Buck agreed with that. "What do you have in mind?" 

"Buck, Charlotte is a Jedi." Vin announced and she glanced at him, wondering why it was necessary to make that revelation to the pilot in his opening statement, even though it was not really a secret. 

Buck could not hide his surprise and understood now why the lady had been hiding as well as her strong connection to Vin. He absorbed the information and turned back to Vin after a moment. "That’s real interesting Vin but what’s it got to do with your plan for getting out of here?"

"With Vader being on that ship, the minute we leave orbit, he’ll know who we are. He can sense us on whatever ship we might be on. So I figure we split up."

"Split up?" Buck stared at him, not liking this idea at all. "Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"That way, it will give Vader two targets to track and one of us can get away while the other can head back down here and wait until Mary gets here with the  _Purgatory_." Vin suggested. 

"Not bad." Buck responded but his gut told him there was something more at work here but for the moment could not guess what. However, to prevent Vin from making any heroic gestures that would get himself killed, Buck had one condition on his plan. "Alright but JD goes with you."

Vin met Buck’s gaze directly and answered. "Sure, no problem."

"Then it’s a plan," Buck responded, still a little uneasy about it all.  

Something about Vin’s acquiescence made it too easy and he could tell by the expression on Charlotte’s face that Jedi or not, the lady held similar feelings of discomfort about Vin’s ready agreement to his conditions. Only JD seemed oblivious to it all, though the young man was curious as to why Buck was so insistent he play co-pilot to the  _Tracker_. The Slipstream did not require a co-pilot as much as the  _Rogue_  but he supposed Buck had reasons he would let JD in on later. 

"When do we leave?" JD asked. 

"The sooner the better," was Vin’s taut reply. 

* * *

The Admiral was not surprised when the transmission from Ithor finally reached him from the communications officer of the _Executor_. 

Considering what Lord Vader planned to do if the rebels did not capitulate to his demands, he supposed the only surprise to be had in this whole incident was the fact it had taken them this long to make their response. With only an hour left until the deadline, the transmission had come exactly when they had anticipated, although for the purposes of pure drama, Jeya would have preferred it if the rebel had left it until the last moment to create some sense of occasion. Still, the rebels were hardly an imaginative lot. Self-appointed heroes seldom were. However as he read the message transcribed before him, Jeya had to confess the rebel Vin Tanner was not entirely stupid.

The message demanded Lord Vader’s attention immediately and thus Jeya departed off the bridge in order to deliver it personally. Usually a junior officer would undertake such errands but on the ship where Darth Vader was master, even an admiral was reduced to delivering messages with the rest of the rank and file. Vader’s quarters were the largest on board the Avenger and it was where he spent most of his time when he was carrying out the Emperor’s orders. It was rumored that the dark lord had been given a fortress in Coruscant but spent most of the time on board this ship since he very rarely out of the Emperor’s service.

Still, Jeya wondered how did the man spend the scant time he had to himself? Every man in power tended to have excesses, even the Emperor was known for his voracious indulgence in young courtesans. Vader seemed more machine and man and yet who he once was remained a mystery. Did he have friends? Family? A wife somewhere perhaps? Jeya doubted it. A person such as Vader wou ld not allow himself the indulgence that would weaken him.

Arriving at Vader’s quarters, Jeya was mindful to be invited before entering. Vader’s quarters were modified just for him. When the door slid open before him, Jeya stepped in and paused, taking a moment to compose himself so that he would not stare when he saw the dark lord inside the cybernetic chamber he used to maintain the infamous armor. Circular in shape, when it was activated, the outlet would seal the dark lord inside its confines, possibly giving him a moment of respite from the armor that kept him alive. Jeya suspected that it was the only place that Vader ever removed his outer casing. Vader’s protective orb was exposed and the dark lord was nestled on a chair within it, appearing deep in thought.

"Yes Admiral?" Vader wasted no time with the pleasantries and asked. "There is news?" He asked, perfectly aware that must have been for Jeya to be here.

"We’ve received a transmission from Vin Tanner." Jeya announced himself.  

"And?" Vader made no move to leave his seat.

"He will await you in Seleusa at the end of the deadline." Jeya continued. "However, you must let the others with him leave. He does not name the ship in which they will be departing."

"He is aware I will know which it is." Vader retorted in anticipation of a question originating from Jeya in regards to that point.

"Your orders my Lord?" Jeya asked. 

"We must not keep Tanner waiting. When his friends attempt to leave Ithor, let them through and have my shuttle prepared for departure immediately." Vader spoke after a pause. "With some added embellishments of course." 

The embellishments did not bother Jeya as much as the notion of letting the other rebels go. "My Lord are we to let them go?" Jeya exclaimed.

"It is Tanner I want." Vader’s voice seemed to become deeper and louder at the same time. "The others are of no use to me."

"What about Governor Richmond’s daughter?" Jeya pointed.

"If I have Tanner, then I have no need of her." Vader answered, keeping to himself that once he extracted what he needed from Tanner, he would have no need of Lilith Richmond.

 Instead, he would have a young Skywalker.

* * *

Once Charlotte, Lilith and Maria returned with Buck to the  _Rogue_  and Vin found himself with a temporary co-pilot in the presence of JD on board the  _Tracker_ , it was time to make their departure from Ithor. Both ships took of at relatively the same time and made quick progress out of the atmosphere although they maintained radio silence as they approach the atmospheric shield around the planet. The exodus was still taking place and it was not difficult for them to insinuate themselves into the path of the ships leaving the Ithorians herdships in an effort to avoid the impending destruction. As the ships climbed into the atmosphere, Vin kept a close eye for the _Executor_ , perfectly aware when Vader detected the presence of Jedi, the temporary cloak this fleet of ships around them had provided would disappear. 

"So far so good," JD remarked as he helped Vin with the co-piloting of the  _Tracker_  since Vin seemed unusually tense. JD himself had no idea who Darth Vader was, but was aware of how dangerous a dark Jedi could be and everything he had heard about the Sith Lord seemed to indicate he was someone JD had no wish to meet. If someone like Vader was gunning for Vin in particular, JD could not blame the apprentice for his concern. JD had seen what Vader had done to Chris and that was enough to scare him, let alone imagine wondering what someone of lesser skill might endure facing the Sith Lord. 

"Yeah," Vin said shortly, his eyes watching the blue of Ithor’s sky disappearing for the twinkling sparkle of space. Somewhere in all the beauty was the _Executor_ , Vin thought grimly.

Almost as soon as they broke through the atmospheric layer of the planet, the _Executor_ swooped down on them, like a shark attacking a school of fish. The other vessels scattered and it was evident the great ship was only interested in one craft and it was not Vin’s ship. The  _Tracker_  was swept out of the way by the destroyer’s inertia, losing control of its anti-gravs for a brief moment. Both Vin and JD struggled to remain in the chair as the leviathan swam past and began concentrating its fire on the  _Rogue_.

"Buck!" JD cried out as he saw the freighter take heavy bombardment as it struggled to shake off the massive ship coming at it in a ferocious vector.  

"Buck, I’m going in!" Vin shouted into his com unit. "When you see an opening, get the hell out of here!"

"I ain’t leaving you both!" Buck’s determined voice returned a short time later.

"You don’t have a choice!" Vin retorted. "You have to get Charlotte and the others away."

With that the apprentice terminated the conversation and immediately angled his ship at the destroyer. He glanced at JD and took a deep breath. "JD I’m sorry." Vin looked at him.

"You’re sorry?" JD stared back at him in confusion. "I thought we were going to give Buck an opening?" 

"I am," Vin replied. "Just not the kind you think."

Without saying another word, Vin slammed his elbow into JD’s face. The youth slump backwards against his seat, his head impacting hard against the headrest as he slumped into unconsciousness with only his belt keeping him in the chair. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and turned his ship around. The stars in front of the cockpit showed his radical change in course and saw his com panel flare with incoming transmissions. The _Executor_ having noted the change in the  _Tracker’s_ trajectory, immediately discontinued their attack on the  _Rogue_  and began to veer away. The freighter, taking advantage of the situation immediately put a good deal of distance between itself and the departing destroyer. Vin ensured the _Executor_ knew he was heading back to the Ithor before he answered the frantic transmissions coming from the  _Rogue_.

"Vin, what the hell are you doing?" Buck demanded.

"What I have to do Buck," Vin responded firmly, daring not to think too much about what he was doing or he would lose his nerve. "I made a deal with them Buck, my life for all of yours. As long as I keep my end of the bargain to meet Vader on Seleusa, the _Executor_ won’t fire upon you when you try to leave Ithor."

"Are you insane!" Buck sputtered in response. "What about JD?" 

"JD’s going to be fine." Vin glanced at the young man who was still quite unconscious. "I’ve set the  _Tracker_  on autopilot, she’ll set down in the canyon again until the kid comes to. I’m going to get to Seleusa on a life pod. My trajectory takes us straight past the herdship."

"Vin don’t do this!" Charlotte cried out frantically. "Don’t throw your life away for us! Please!"  

Hearing her plea was like feeling knives piercing his heart but Vin refused to be swayed by them. He had made a bargain with Vader and it looked like the dark lord had honored his end of the transaction. Now it was Vin’s turn. Swallowing hard, he answered softly, "I’m not throwing away my life but all your lives for mine is a small price I don’t mind paying." Vin answered, starting to find it difficult to keep talking but his emotions were starting to overwhelm him. "Tell Alex I love her and tell Chris, he was right."

With that, Vin terminated the channel between them and hoped Buck would relay those last words to the people he cared about because he had a feeling he would never see them again.

 


	12. Duel

"We're going back for them." Buck Wilmington stated firmly, taking his eyes away from the scanner indicating the  _Executor_ was veering away from the  _Rogue_ and making its way back to Ithorian orbit. 

Charlotte remained silent for a moment, unable to think clearly because her thoughts were filled with panic. She should have guessed this was what Vin intended to do and cursed her foolishness for minding his privacy and not searching his thoughts before they took off from Ithor so she could learn this was his plan all along. She should have known he would rather sacrifice himself than see all his friends caught in Vader's net when it was only he that had to suffer. How could he believe any of them would find that sacrifice tolerable? With a sigh of deep pain, Charlotte realized he had not, which was why he hid from them what he was doing, to take the choice out of their hands, to make the decision they could not. 

"No," she swallowed thickly. "You will not turn back."  

Buck turned to her in astonishment, not quite believing his ears. "What do you mean I won't turn back?"

"You won't turn back, you're taking my daughter and Maria away from here, you're going to return my Lilith back to the Rebel Alliance where she will be safe from Vader." Charlotte answered in a measured voice, not looking at him. 

"The hell I will," Buck retorted. "If you think I'm going to leave Vin and JD to Vader, you got another thing coming lady!"

"No one's leaving anyone!" Charlotte barked back just as sharply. "I'm going." 

"What?" Buck stared at her with even more incredulity. 

"My lady you must not!" Maria exclaimed from the seat behind her.

"I'm going," Charlotte repeated herself and met Buck's shocked expression with an expression of steel. "I'm the only one who can, I'm the Jedi remember?"

"No," Buck was already shaking his head in refusal. "Jedi I or not, you're not going back there alone."  

However, Charlotte was not listening. She had made up her mind long before she had spoken and she was set on her course. "It has to be me because you're no match for Vader. I don't intend to fight him, just get in his way long enough to help Vin. You have a life pod do you not, on this ship?"

"Yes," Buck nodded, not seeing what crazy plan she was intending on carrying out. "I've got a pod but it will only go to the surface." 

"Well I'm going to follow the  _Tracker_  down," Charlotte answered. "Once I retrieve the ship and your friend, we'll go to Seleusa to get Vin." 

"That could work." Buck agreed before he realized he was starting to go along with this insane idea. "Wait a minute, you're not going to do this alone. We all go!"  

"No," Charlotte glared at him. "You have to get my daughter out of here. I won't let the Empire get their hands on her, not for anything you hear me?"  

"But my lady...." Maria protested again and this time even Lilith who had been remaining silent because of the angry voices bandied about the cockpit found the courage to speak. 

"Mommy I don't want you to go." She said to her mother. 

Charlotte took a deep breath and faced her daughter. "Lilith, I always taught you never to run away from yourself didn't I?" 

"Yes mommy," Lilith nodded. "You said a Jedi must always know their heart." Her small voice sounded peculiar indeed making that recital but she did so perfectly, word for word and what was more, she understood them. 

"I haven't been doing that Lilith. For a long time, I hid what I was because I was afraid for you and that was wrong. You needed to know the real me, the tradition you come from and its nothing to be ashamed of. The Jedi were great Lilith, and I was one of them for a long time. I hid what I was because I was afraid for you and for myself but I can't hide any more because a good man is going to die for us and I can't let that happen. Do you understand?"

Lilith nodded "You're going to save him." 

"Yes," Charlotte nodded, kissing her on the forehead. "Because I'm the only one who can." 

"Look," Buck interrupted, "no one is saving anyone, I haven't agree to anything yet."

Charlotte took a deep breath and turned to Buck before speaking coolly. "You will take my daughter to the Alliance. You will question me no more on this matter and you will let me leave your ship, unhindered." Her fingers moved just enough for the suggestion to be planted in his head and for a moment, Buck appeared dazed as he closed his eyes trying to compose himself from the Force working its way into his mind.

His thoughts were scattered and Buck blinked furiously in an effort to remember what it was he had been thinking when the words came out of his mouth. "Yes," he nodded slowly. "I will take your daughter to the Alliance and I won't you stop you."

Charlotte gazed at him a minute longer, content the suggestion had taken root and knew he would take Lilith to the rebel base without any further debate. It was just as well; she had little time to expend on that venture alone. Taking a deep breath, she faced Maria this time and ran a hand of confidence over the young woman's shoulder. "Maria, I need to look after Lilith no matter what happens to me. I can't promise you anything in return except my thanks and my confidence that you will do your best." 

"My lady, you are coming back." Maria stared at Charlotte, suddenly having the terrible insight without the aid of any Jedi prescience her lady was making her farewells.  

"Yes I am," Charlotte responded, trying to sound as if she believed it. "But in case I don't, you have to promise me you will look after Lilith." There was a hint of pleading in her voice she hoped to avoid but could not help exude in the face of her request of the young woman.  

"You know I will," Maria swallowed thickly. "You gave me a home and a family my lady, when I was nothing. It would my great honor to do this for you."

"Thank you," Charlotte said relieved and trusted Maria enough to keep her word in this before turning to Lilith. She gathered her daughter in her arms and held her close. Lilith in turn clung to her mother with just as much intensity. The fear radiating from her little body was easily sensed by Charlotte but to her pride, Lilith was doing her best to hide it form her.

"Baby I love you." Charlotte whispered as she parted from Lilith's embrace and looked her daughter in the eye. "Whatever happens, I always will, you know that."

"I do mommy," Lilith started to weep, her own senses telling her something terrible was happening. "I love you too."  

Each tear shed broke Charlotte's heart just a little more but she had to do this, not only to save Vin from Vader but also to ensure the sanctity of the secret that would see Lilith's own freedom some day in the future. She was willing to risk all to see to it her daughter would not have to hide what she was and be proud of it.

"I will come back," Charlotte said firmly as she disengaged herself from Lilith's embrace. "I promise you I will do everything to make that happen."

Lilith nodded as she saw Charlotte stand up from her seat and reach into the folds of her cloak to produce something that neither she or Maria had ever seen. Charlotte held the device in her hand, feeling its weight and finding it very comforting how easily it felt in her grip once more even after such a length of time. The light saber was not that different from the one carried by Vin Tanner but this one was far more seasoned and had seen battles the apprentice could not even begin to imagine.

"It's been a long time since I've used this." Charlotte said with a little smile and glanced at Lilith, "someday, you will build your own. I'm going to see to it that you can."

No matter what the cost. 

* * *

The life pod arrived in Seleusa as expected with little interference from the Empire or the Ithorian authorities. Vin directed the small craft into the emergency landing bay at the herdship's spaceport after leaving JD and the Tracker in the canyon where they had taken refuge earlier. He tried not to think too much about what he would be facing as he brought the life pod into its unceremonious landing amidst the howl of beacons that sounded throughout the hangar bay. Technicians and port authorities were keeping close eye on him, aware that his arrival was due to an effort to save the lives of more Ithorians from the Emperor's brutal intimidation and thus when he emerged from the craft was regarded with some measure of respect. Particularly when they saw the light saber in his hand and identified him a Jedi.

One thing was clear to him however the moment he arrived on the herdship and that was the fact that he could sense Vader was already there.

Like an invisible thread pulling him along, Vin was helpless but to follow the dark and sinister sensation exuded from one whose power came entirely from the dark side of the Force. Vin felt fear bubbling inside of him and as he progressed along the empty hallways of the herdship, he forced it away knowing it could be used against him and he refused to allow Vader to have that much power over him. He had in his life, never been afraid of anything before, daring to take chances no sane man would attempt because he refused to allow fear to keep him from his goals, no matter how reckless the course may be. This would be no different. Vader was stronger yes, but was he invincible? Vin did not think so. Yoda had said the dark side was very strong but a Jedi with the Force as his ally, devoid of fear and doubt, could best it. For the sake of his continued existence, Vin would have to believe that passionately or else Vader would destroy him. 

He made his way to the roof of the herd ship, where it was used as a landing pad to transport people from one community to another on Ithor. When the doors to the lift module slid open and he found himself standing below the Ithorian sky, Vin could see no signs of such ships. They abandoned the place probably on the instruction of the dark lord who wanted to face him alone. Vin remembered the lessons taught to him by Chris and Yoda and hoped that those teachings would be enough to offset his lack of experience when facing a dark Jedi of Vader's caliber. Vin stepped out of the lift module and let his eyes scan the roof for Vader. He could feel the presence of the Sith Lord close by and was certain the recognition was mutual. Taking a deep breath, he left the safety of the lift and continued forward, certain that Vader would show himself soon enough.

He did not have long to wait. 

Rounding the corner of the roof, he heard the raspy breathing and recognized it as those produced by someone wearing a respirator. It coincided with a chill running through his entire body and as the cloaked figure in a polished black mask came into view, Vin knew it could be no one else but Vader. He looked in person more frightening than his description, appearing like a statue carved from black marble and the sound of his artificial breath was almost as chilling. He stood almost a head taller than Buck Wilmington and as Vin approached him, the apprentice was determined not to feel the fear whispering at him to give up what Vader wanted and leave here with his life. 

"The Force is with you, Vin Tanner." Vader greeted politely.

"And with you." Vin responded in turn for it was the way of the Jedi to be civil in all things, even though what they were about to do was hardly that.

"It took remarkable courage to come here," Vader continued speaking. "I sense your fear in this confrontation." 

"I fear nothing." Vin retorted, feeling a surge of anger because inside he knew it was true, he was afraid and hated Vader knowing.

"You are strong Vin," Vader responded. "One of the strongest even though you are but an apprentice. I would hate to take your life." 

"That's kind of you to say," Vin snorted, igniting his blade and prompting Vader to do the same because he hated talking to this creature or letting Vader climb inside his head. "I'll try to be as considerate when its time for me to take  _your_  life."

"That is unfortunate," Vader returned more amused then insulted by Vin's response. "The Emperor could use someone with your potential. I could complete your training. I bested your master, Larabee, I could teach a great deal more than he possibly could." 

"Chris  _let_  you win." Vin declared, refusing to give this bastard the satisfaction of thinking he had aachieved some kind victory over Chris Larabee. 

"You won't have the same luxury with me, little apprentice." Vader answered before swing his blade into a neat arch that would have taken Vin's head off. The younger man immediately raised his own lightsabre and blocked the blow, sending the beam of crimson energy bouncing off its surface as its master launched another attack, this time faster and with greater accuracy. Vin met him blow for blow, refusing to allow him any quarter and for a moment they stood in circle of space, blocking, parrying and thrusting with neither making an advance or a retreat. Suddenly Vin had the idea Vader was not fighting him but rather testing out his defenses, trying to learn how to get through them without killing him because he still needed Vin alive. 

"You can't kill me!" Vin gloated as he shoved Vader away. "You can't kill me because you need me to tell you about Skywalker! Can you?"

"I do not have to kill you little apprentice, I can cause you enough pain to ensure you give me what I want." Vader returned confidently.  

"NEVER." Vin hissed and came at him with an offensive blow, slamming his saber into Vader with all the strength he could muster. The dark lord retreated as Vin vented his fury and outrage at Vader's presumption at his lack of skill. The blue glow of his saber impacted hard against Vader's own crimson blade until he was pushing Vader across the tarmac, seeing nothing but the enemy he had to destroy.

Suddenly Vader stopped retreating and caught Vin's latest blow with a powerful block before shoving back hard enough for Vin to stumble backwards, almost losing his balance. The pause in hostilities gave both combatants time to take a breath and Vader lowered his weapon confidently and regarded Vin almost contemplatively.

"You are strong apprentice. You are possibly even stronger than Larabee but your ability to control your fear is slipping. I can defeat you and you know it, you feel it inside of you and that is why I will win." 

"Take your best shot!" Vin lunged at him again and once more Vader blocked his blow easily, with Vin coming at him, using all his strength to wear down his opponent. He swung hard and fast, leaping into the air at one point in neat somersault and landing behind Vader to disorientate him. Vader barely avoided the strike that might have decapitated him and dropped to his knees before lashing out and bringing Vin to his own knees before leaping to his feet again and renewing his attack while the younger man was at the disadvantage.  

Vin saw the blade coming down on him and raised his own to avoid being mortally wounded. He rolled once he had fended it off and got to his feet again to see Vader taking the offensive with a series of hard and powerful strikes. The strength of the man took Vin's breath away and soon the apprentice was using all his reserves to keep those blows from meeting their mark. Vader was not only a powerful Jedi but he was extremely skilled with a sabre and Vin was just too new at this to mount a defense that could defeat him. Still the younger man was not about to give in and with every strike that Vader delivered, Vin countered it back with equal force, giving as good as he got for as long as he was capable. 

However, Vin never stood a chance and he was about to be shown how futile trying had been. 

Vin raised his sabre to strike when he saw Vader lower his own, thinking for a moment somehow the dark lord misjudged his skill and had left himself wide open for attack. Vin ran forward, preparing to make the kill when suddenly, he was swept off his feet and flung into the doors of the lift module. He impacted against the steel with so much force, the air escaped his lungs and it felt as if he might have broken every bone in his body with the pain that followed. For a few seconds, Vin reeled from the attack until his senses screamed warning and he came around just in time to see Vader coming at him again. He threw himself out of the way just as Vader's blade tore through the steel doors of the lift and Vin scrambled to his feet, searching for the lightsabre that was no longer in his hand and seeing it on the floor nearby. Concentrating hard, the weapon returned to his grip, just in time for him to ward off another powerful strike by the dark lord.  

"I don't wish to kill you little apprentice," Vader spoke as he continued his attack. "I am only interested in my son. If you give me what I want, I can complete your training and we can faced the Emperor as Master and Apprentice. Do you know the power of the dark side; have you allowed yourself to feel it? Join me and you will become a part of the New Order. The Republic was decayed and chaotic, whole races squabbling with each other, never accomplishing anything. The Emperor has a vision and you can be apart of it."

"Your new order is going to die!" Vin shouted defiantly, striking back in an attack of his own even though he could not keep it up for very long. His limbs ached from the impact with the door despite his best efforts to ignore it. "The Rebel Alliance is going to finish your Empire before this abomination you call a new order even has a chance to begin!"  

"The Rebel Alliance is nothing!" Vader roared and a surge of power escaped him, tearing Vin off the floor and crushing him to the ground once more with a hard thud.

Vin let out a groan of pain as he felt something give way this time and knew he had broken ribs. There was little time to reflect on the pain as he saw Vader coming for him again, this time, his attack was ruthless and precise, blade after blade of powerful strokes Vin could barely block let alone defend. Vin was becoming exhausted and Vader seemed unstoppable. With a feeling of anguish and growing despair, Vin realized he was going to die. He was going to die here and but not before giving Vader exactly what he wanted about Skywalker.

"Give in Vin," Vader lowered his weapon once more as Vin staggered away, having real trouble holding up his blade as he panted in exhaustion and pain. "I don't know want to kill you but if you choose to ally yourself with what is left of the Jedi, you give me no choice but to destroy you." 

"If that's my destiny, then so be it." Vin responded defiantly.

"Is it also the destiny of the one you love to die at my hands?" Vader asked. 

"What?" Vin stared at him, wondering what he could mean by that remark. He could not possibly know about Alex, could he?

"I see her in your mind. Your thoughts about her are strong indeed and they betray you. Love is a weakness my young apprentice; it is an exploitable vulnerability. Give me what I want and I will not send a legion of my troops across the galaxy to hunt her down. If you will not give me my son, then I will take your lover!" 

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM ALEX!" Vin screamed and lunged at the dark lord, feeling a swell of adrenaline flood through this veins as he went after Vader with vengeance.  

Swinging wild and hard, Vin drove Vader back once more, his offensive almost frenzied as he kept slamming his blade against Vader's own. Vader deflected the strikes easily, watching the younger man get wilder and more reckless, knowing he would soon run out of energy and be completely open to defeat. Vader could feel the rage building inside of Vin and knew he was closer to the dark side than he knew but unfortunately, Vin Tanner would not be able to use that to his advantage. He had difficult containing what power he had already without being bombarded by the unparalleled surge of strength that came from accessing the dark side.  

"I won't let you get her!" Vin swung again, determine to kill this foul creature before he could harm Alex.

"Foolish boy." Vader shook his head as he caught Vin's latest blow and shoved back, utilizing the Force to make the return strike even more powerful. "You make it all to easy."

Once more Vin was swept of his feet. He sailed through the air with such speed he had no idea what was happening until he felt the tarmac under his shoulder and a sickening sound of a bone popping upon impact. He let out a scream as the pain flared from his injured side and spread through the rest of him. He was still on the ground when he saw Vader come at him and this time Vin did not know if he could defend himself. Tears running down his cheeks in agony, Vin raised his uninjured arm and deflected Vader's downward strike. The impact of sabre upon sabre almost dislodged the weapon from Vin's hand and he rolled onto his stomach to scramble away, trying to gain a little ground so that he could catch his breath. 

However Vader was not giving him that respite and the dark lord made his advance again, lashing out with brutal intensity, shaking off every effort Vin made to defend his strikes, as if they were nothing than annoyances. He was driving Vin towards the edge of the roof, swinging his blade over and over again until the apprentice could do nothing but retreat in an effort to prevent the final decisive blow that would end this duel once and for all. Vader could feel Vin's defenses starting to slip, the fear was overwhelming the younger man now, salting his bones to the point where his mental shields would come down with one resounding crash and Vader would at last get what he wanted, the location of his son. 

"I'm giving you one last chance little apprentice," Vader declared. "Tell me where my son is and it will not end the way it is going to."

"NO!" Vin screamed, refusing to be swayed by that offer even though the temptation to concede was overwhelming. He was going to die and he knew it. He tried his best and it was not good enough! The Sith Lord was just too strong. However, Vin did have the choice of how he would leave this world and he would do so with honor, keeping his word to Chris to never betray the secret the Jedi had entrusted him with. Darth Vader could kill him but he would  _never_  defeat him.

"I will die before I let you take it from me!" Vin hissed and with the last ounce of strength he had, he raised his sabre in the air and came at Vader for one final blow that would either finish him or the dark lord. Unfortunately, Vader was too seasoned to be caught that way and swung his own blade in a defending blow, intending to finish this battle once and for all. 

The blade sliced through Vin's shoulder, eliciting Vin's first and only guttural scream he had ever uttered in his life as he felt his flesh, bone and muscle giving way in a burst of excruciating agony. Warm blood began flowing immediately down his chest and though his arm had not come away from his body, it remained in place only by a twist of flesh. Blinded with pain, Vin collapsed on the floor, hardly aware that his light sabre had fallen from his hand and was rolling across the tarmac, out of his reach. He hit the ground; not noticing it when his skull cracked onto the hard surface, sending waves of disorientation through him that was drowned in the sea of agony already coursing through his body. His cheek scraped against the steel floor and seconds seemed to pas before his cheek became wet with blood. He blinked twice and understood that it was because he was lying in a puddle of his own blood.

"You can still survive." Vader spoke once more, the harsh breathing of his respirator hovered over Vin's ear as he leaned down to make a final offer, now the battle was truly over and done with. "Give me what I wish and I will see to it that you are given proper medical treatment. You do not have to die here."

Vin turned his head and looked the dark lord straight in the eye. It was difficult to talk because his lungs were filling up with blood and his body was starting to shut down, however, he refused to go, not before he gave the Sith Lord a final answer with which to remember. Vin was overcome a deep sense of peace, despite the excruciating pain, in knowing that the end had come and he had not submitted to his fear or Vader's temptations.

"Never," Vin answered, smiling weakly. The upturn corner of his lip sent a rivulet of blood down his face. "The only way you will meet your son is the day he comes to kill you." 

"FOOL!" Vader swore and raised his sabre to deliver a final blow, deciding he had enough of this fledgling! "Keep your secret then!" Vader bellowed in fury. "You can take them to hell with you!"

However, the deathblow he intended to strike Vin Tanner with, never met its mark. It was halted in mid air by the presence of a new blade and an entirely new face. 

"Care to try someone your own size?" Charlotte Richmond asked.


	13. Sacrifice

"We finally meet." Darth Vader responded to the challenge offered by Charlotte Richmond, once the surprise of her arrival wore off. "I would have thought you and your child would be on your way to the Alliance by now." 

"Matters on Ithor required I remain." Charlotte said coldly, keeping her light saber against Vader’s to ensure he did not make any sudden moves towards Vin. Charlotte tried to keep her eyes averted from Vin's body lying on the tarmac, or notice the crimson pool spreading around him was blood from a grievous wound. Behind her, JD Dunne was moving towards the fallen apprentice, cautiously keeping an eye on the two Jedis who were about to do battle.  

"Get him out of here JD." Charlotte ordered, never moving her eyes away from Vader as she spoke. 

"He’ll never leave the system alive." Vader hissed, keeping his gaze similarly focused Charlotte and paying little attention to the young man who was trying to remain beneath his notice.  

"He’ll take his chances." Charlotte answered for JD. "Go on JD, take him out of here!" 

JD did not pause to answer her. He heard descriptions about Lord Darth Vader from those who had seen him in person and none of those descriptions did the man any justice. Seeing this cloaked figure in black armor was possibly one of the most frightening moments of his young life. He did not know anything about Sith Lords but if they all looked like Vader, then JD was extremely grateful the Sith only came in twos; a master and an apprentice. For an army of such creatures was the stuff of nightmares. JD did not think he would ever be able to hear the sound of a respirator again without shuddering inwardly or connecting that chilling sound to Vader. However, he could not dwell on the sinister looking Jedi when Vin Tanner needed help so desperately. 

JD lowered himself to Vin and took hold of the apprentice’s wounded body, trying not to be affected by the metallic stench of blood suffocating the air around him or the sight of so much of it, it was a puddle of black on the ground. Vin’s arm was barely attached to his body and when JD lifted him off the floor, he had to do so ensuring the arm remained that way since there was no longer any bone to support its weight. Muscle and sinew were sliced apart and what remained connected to Vin, did so by the flimsiest threads of flesh. JD felt his stomach lurch and thought he might gag at the gruesome sight but he fought the sensation because Vin needed his help. Vin was barely conscious, blood frothing at his lips with each exhale and JD could tell that unless he was brought to the  _Tracker_  where the medibay would stabilize his condition; he would die before they even left Ithorian orbit. 

"Come on Vin," JD said softly as he hauled Vin to his feet and began dragging the apprentice towards the lift module once more. Charlotte was still keeping Vader at bay and as he moved away from them, noticed Vader’s eyes following their departure. Never in his life did JD wanted to be away from any place badly and the dark lord’s gaze only made him move faster. He wanted to call after Charlotte but it was a futile effort and he knew it. She had already given him his instructions once they reached this point and the situation was too critical to deviate from it now. Besides, he had a feeling she had known this was the way it was going to go from the moment she decided to help rescue Vin.  

The _Tracker_  was presently docked and waiting their arrival at the spaceport. JD did not think they would have much trouble from the Ithorians preventing their depature when the sight of Charlotte with a light sabre had been enough for them to step aside. The look in their eyes when they saw her was almost one of reverence. JD had never made a solo flight himself but he was confident Buck had taught him well enough to try, besides there was no choice. He had to get Vin help because the consequences for failure was not something he wanted on his conscience.  

Arriving at the lift doors, he cast a gaze back at Charlotte and Vader who was staring at each other like titans about to do battle and appeared as if they were waiting for him and Vin to go before they began to fight. He wished he could say something to Charlotte as the doors slid open and he stepped inside. JD wished he could tell her how brave he thought she was and how she should be coming with him now they had found Vin, but he dare not risk disrupting her concentration with such a formidable enemy. However at this instant, he understood what she had said before they arrived here, that one of them would have to remain behind to keep Vader busy while the other rescued Vin. And since the one who remained needed to be a Jedi, there was never a question in her mind that it was going to be her. 

 _Go!_  

JD blinked when he heard her voice in her mind.  _Go now, while you still can!_  

This time there was no hesitation as JD entered the small compartment of the lift module, hanging on to Vin, once her voice faded from his mind. Activating the control mechanism against the wall, JD could only stare as the doors started to seal and Charlotte disappeared entirely out of his view, to be frozen forever into his memory.

* * *

She attacked the moment Vin and JD were out of her sight.  

Unlike Vin who was a novice, Charlotte was not out of practice and although she never showed her daughter her skills as a Jedi Knight, there were many nights after both Maria and her daughter had gone to sleep when Charlotte crept out train and keep herself sharp. Whether or not it was enough for her to prevail against Darth Vader was another thing entirely, but she was not afraid. If this entire affair had wrought anything, it showed Charlotte the folly of fearing too much. She was done with her fears and her insecurities. Lilith was safe and beyond the Empire’s reach now, Charlotte could feel it and she also knew Vin would do everything possible to protect her. Whatever the future held for her, Charlotte could face it knowing that. 

She swung hard at Vader and he raised his saber blocked her blow, staggering backwards at the ferociousness of her attack. Like a mother rancor protecting her young, Charlotte maintained the devastating pace, using all the skills at her disposal to fight a seemingly invulnerable enemy. Leaping into the air, she somersaulted over his head and landed behind him and kicked out her foot no sooner than she had touched the ground, sending him forward clumsily before she came at him again. Vader recovered quickly, fast coming to the realization he had to re-evaluate his attack strategy because he was no longer fighting and inexperienced opponent. Obviously Governor Richmond’s wife was a skilled Jedi and would need to be treated as such.

This time he met her offensive, putting a great deal of power into his return strikes. However, as strong as he was, Charlotte was faster and there was a grace and agility to her movements that was not capable of being repeated by his body armor. She dodged out of his way easily and slammed her sabre down, this time connecting with the crook of his shoulder long enough to cause sparks to spit from the ruptured wires of the cybernetic covering. Vader uttered a cry of pain and lashed out a gloved fist in wide swing. His knuckles met her jaw and she stumbled back, reeling in disorientation but not enough to be caught at a disadvantage. She brought up her weapon once more as he thrust his own blade in her direction and she shoved the weapon away from the torso it would have otherwise penetrated. The sound of lightsabers clanged loudly, its sounds reverberating through their bones as the battle seemed to be gain momentum almost to fever pitch. 

"Your husband has underestimated you greatly." Vader remarked when a break in the fighting had come. "He said you had forgotten your skills, that you had left the Jedi way far behind you." 

"My husband has been mistaken about a great number of things." Charlotte declared, aware this effort at conversation was merely a tactic in delaying the battle while Vader came up with a new plan. It was time she did not intend to give him. As a Jedi he was the strongest but he was also a Sith Lord, drawing on the dark side for his power and the Force lost it potency when employed in such a manner. She may not be able to beat him but she could  _certainly_  hurt him. Charlotte raised her weapon and swung the energy beam at Vader, only to have him deflect her blow. For a few minutes, they stood before each other, matching one another in skill and strength. 

Charlotte fought like a hellion giving him little or no time to catch his breath because the only way to defeat someone like Vader was to wear him down. They both leapt into the air, charging each other in flight as their sabers slammed dangerous against each other, until the sound of the wind blowing was drowned out by the noise of their weapons. They landed on the ground again and to resume the dance once more. Neither of them were aware they were being observed closely by the Ithorians and the newly arrived Imperial troops who saw the departure of the  _Tracker_  from Seleusa and deduced something had gone wrong with the dark lord’s audience with Vin Tanner. 

Vader was using his physical strength in the battle ensuring ]each time he made a strike, it would require a good deal of effort on Charlotte’s part to keep it from reaching its mark. The mechanics of his body allowed him that advantage while taking away the graceful agility of movement. Charlotte on the other hand moved swiftly, never remaining in one place long enough for him to concentrate his attack to such a point that she had trouble holding her ground. Leaping and twisting in the air, she was like a wind sprite, delivering her strikes and then slipping out of reach before he could move to engage. Spark flew from the meeting of their blades and the fierce fighting continued, waiting for one of the combatants to weaken.

"Not so easy to kill us when you’re not hunting down our families and butchering us with your Imperial dogs is it?" Charlotte hissed as she struck him again. This time her sabre caught him on the side, creating a fissure that bled the cybernetic gases keeping him alive inside the dark armor. He uttered another cry and she relished the sound of his pain. Concentrating hard, she allowed herself a momentary indulgence and sent him flying through the air, his dark cloak billowing in the wind as he crashed on the floor not far from her. Breaking into a running start, Charlotte raced towards him, weapon drawn and prepare to leap when suddenly out of nowhere, a blast of energy struck her full on the side. 

Charlotte uttered a scream as she collapsed on the floor, feeling the sting of what she knew could only be a bolt from an Imperial stormtrooper's blast rifle.

"WHO DARES!" She heard Vader roar through a haze of pain encompassing her whole body. Her vision was cloudy and she could not see well but the sensation of agony was most acute and she could only hiss quietly in pain because there were little strength left in her for anything else. Her sabre was still in her hand and though she knew she was dying, Charlotte would not let Vader claim her dead boy as a prize. Taking a deep breath, she rolled onto her stomach, unaware she was trailing blood as she moved forward painfully. The action alone drew her a frustrated cry of agony with each inch she managed to cover. Distantly, she heard Vader demanding to know who had given the contingent of stormtroopers, the authority to intervene. The storm trooper who shot her was soon writhing on the tarmac, strangled by the dark lord for his interference in what was clearly a Jedi matter.

None of this mattered much to Charlotte who left Vader to his petty tyrannies and ignored the death scream of the man who was summarily executed for taking her life. She saw the edge of the roof come into view and stared at the beauty of Ithor for once last time. Forcing herself to her feet took every ounce of strength left in her, but Charlotte was determined to die well. She heard someone shouting at Vader, alerting him to what she was doing but paid little attention to it. It was too late for that anyway. Taking a deep breath, she took a second to admire the pristine beauty of blue skies and a majestic landscape of rolling green fields. As the last thing she would ever see in this life, Charlotte was pleased with the view.  

She could feel tendrils of Vader’s power reaching for her, attempting to keep her from completing this one final task. However, he was not going to take this away from her. Closing her eyes, Charlotte ran forward shakily and with the power of the Force masking the pain in her legs and torso, enough for her to make that running start, Charlotte jumped over the edge. She heard Vader scream behind her in fury but she did not care, she could feel the wind in her hair and the lush scent of Ithor’s air in her lungs. She did not look at the ground miles below her for she would make acquaintance with it soon enough.  

Until then however, Charlotte would dream of her daughter's freedom and ride the wind into eternity.

* * *

 

Buck could not believe what that woman had done to him!

The  _Rogue_  was already in hyperspace; her course set so Buck could do nothing to change it until he reached the other side of the dimensional passageway. Although it was possible to change course in hyperspace, Buck was unprepared to do it when there was a child and a girl not much more than a teenager on board his ship. He would not risk their lives in case he miscalculated even by a fraction. A mistep on on his part and he could cause the  _Rogue_  emerge in the middle of a supernova or a black hole and that was not how he wanted to end his day. Besides, despite her manipulation, Charlotte Richmond was right, her daughter _did_ need to be taken to safety.

Inwardly, he was still furious how he could have fallen under a Jedi mind spell so easily. Chris had done it to him a few times in his life, usually when Buck had gotten his mind to chase after some woman Chris knew would get him killed. Buck was usually pretty sore with the Jedi after that but things always had a way of working out so Buck realized Chris had actually done him a favor as opposed to robbing him of a glorious night of passion. However, he was still unimpressed by having fallen under its sway when exerted so expertly by Charlotte Richmond. One minute he was arguing with her about the ludicrous notion of her returning to Ithor herself and the next thing he knew, he was staring at his cockpit watching the spots in front his eyes disappear after making the jump to lightspeed.

Buck wanted to go with her so he could get JD back himself. Even though the young man had learned a great deal since becoming his co-pilot, Buck was not at all happy he was on Ithor alone while a superstar destroyer was in orbit around the planet. Now he would have to return to the rebel base, leave Charlotte's daughter and the girl Maria before being able to return to Ithor to find out if JD and Vin were okay, not to mention the crazy Jedi who put him in this situation in the first place.  

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Maria staring out the cockpit window, her eyes very far away as she held the blond waif in her arms. Both females seemed somber and Buck could not blame them. The little girl in particular was feeling her mother's departure most profoundly and once again, Buck cursed his weakness at falling prey to a Jedi mind trick and allowing the woman go off on her own. 

Suddenly, Lilith sat up in Maria's lap with her eyes wide open and squealed. "MOMMY NO!"  

"Lilith!" Maria looked at her in concern. "What is it?"

The child had started to cry, anguish contorting her features into an expression that broke Buck's heart into a thousand pieces 

"She's dead!" Lilith started to sob loudly. "Mommy's dead!"  

"Of course she isn't," Maria said quickly, embracing the little girl, with panic clearly marking her own features. 

"Yes she is!" Lilith bawled loudly the way only a six-year-old could. "Mommy's gone! I felt her go away!"  

Buck knew she was right and before he knew what he was doing, Lilith was in his arms and he was holding her tight as she buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed loudly without restraint. He wished with all his heart the little girl was wrong but his own instincts told him it was a futile hope. Adam, Chris's son had been the same way. The boy had always known when his father was near and Buck had seen them have conversations without ever saying a word to each other. He and Sarah used to marvel at the strength of that bond as well as envying it at times. If Lilith said her mother was dead, then Buck believed her.  

"I'm sorry darling," Buck whispered softly in her ear. "I'm so sorry." 

However, despite admonishing himself for feeling so selfish, Buck could not help wonder that if Charlotte was dead, where was Vin and JD? 

* * *

"Charlotte...." Vin groaned as he lay on the bunk in the  _Tracker's_  medibay.  

"I'm sorry." He wept softly, tears streaking down his cheeks as he surfaced in and out of coherence. JD placed him inside the automated compartment,  under the ministrations of the medi-droid keeping his vital signs stable and pumping him full of pain nullifying drugs for his trip back to the rebel base.  _She was dead_. He could feel inside his soul and knew at that moment, wherever she was, her life had come to an end. He felt her consciousness extinguish in one final instant, before fading away like smoke forever. "I'm sorry." He whispered his eyes blinded with tears as he stared into the ceiling above.

With the knowledge of her death heavy in his mind, the pain he was enduring seemed far away although Vin could not be certain it was not the drugs causing it to diminish. Whatever the reason, Vin forced himself from the bed.  

"Sir, you must stay in bed." The droid declared reproachfully but Vin ignored it. His left side and his arm were encased in a stasis pack and he was still very weak but Vin could hear the sounds of bombardment against the hull of ship and knew they were far from out of danger.

"To hell with it," he grunted weakly and stood up. He could not just lie here when so much was going on outside. Besides, if he stayed where he was he would have nothing to do but think about Charlotte and the fact she had died for him. At the moment, Vin was too raw inside to face that.

He made his way to the cockpit; not an easy feat to accomplish when the ship was being bombarded by what he was certain was energy blasts from fighter cannons. So far, the  _Tracker_  was enduring against the barrage and JD was holding his own to keep the detonations against the hull down to a bare minimum. Bracing himself against the walls of ship with his uninjured hands, Vin walked slowly to the cockpit, feeling every shudder and ever heave of protest uttered by the ship whenever the enemy's blast met its mark.

He arrived in the cockpit and saw the  _Executor_ bearing directly ahead of the  _Tracker_ , looming closer and closer in the window as the smaller craft surged on ahead. Flying across the sky surrounding the  _Tracker_ , a dozen TIE fighters were literally swarming around them in frenzy. Vin watched JD at the controls of his ship, flying the Slipstream the way a mad man would but somehow, he was managing to keep them from being destroyed. Vin struggled into the co-pilot's seat next to JD; content to let the young man handle things even though Vin did not hold much hope for them to evade capture indefinitely.

"What are you doing here Vin?" JD asked horrified as he saw his friend next to him. To him, Vin looked half-dead and had no business being in that chair when he ought to be with the medical droid being treated and kept in stable condition. "You should be in bed!" 

"What's the point?" Vin asked weakly. "It's going to take a miracle for us to get out this alive."  

"Things are bad," JD agreed as he flew through the ships before them, trying desperately to put some distance between the  _Tracker_  and the superstar destroyer determined to capture them now Vin had reneged on his deal with Vader and fled Ithor. The great ship closed in on the small ship as soon as the  _Tracker_ left orbit, this time making no mistakes as it sent a phalanx of TIE fighters to cut off any route of escape. The net was closing in on them but JD was not going to taken without a fight. Buck Wilmington had taught him that lesson most succinctly. "But we're getting out of this." 

"Charlotte is dead." Vin answered him with that statement. 

JD cast a brief glance at Vin and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Vin. She was a brave woman." 

"I should never have come to Ithor." Vin shook his head, hardly noticing they were engaged in their fight for their lives beyond the hull of the ship. "I killed her by coming here!" 

"VIN!" JD said sharply. "I don't have time for this!" The younger man barked at him and surprised the apprentice by the intensity of his words. "I'm sorry Charlotte is gone but you didn't kill her and she knew very well what she was doing when she came to rescue you. I need to concentrate on getting us out of here alive and since you can't help me with that, I suggest you sit quietly and let do what I can. That lady gave up her life so you and I could escape with ours, I sure as hell am not going to let that sacrifice go to waste." 

Vin did not answer and looked away from JD, feeling warm tears in his eyes because the younger man was right. Charlotte had sacrificed her life for not only the two of them but for her daughter as well. It was wrong to let that sacrifice be for nothing. Closing his eyes, he felt droplets of moisture run down his cheeks even though he kept himself facing away from JD.

"What do you need me to do?" He turned to face JD a moment later, an expression on his face telling the younger man he was not angry at what JD had said to him. It was actually rather justified. 

"At the moment?" JD asked as he banked the  _Tracker_  hard and it slipped in between two TIE fighters incapable of pullling up in time. Their collision and destruction bathed the cockpit in a flare of light as the  _Tracker_  flew through the dissipating debris field and surged towards the huge destroyer at accelerating speed. "I just need you to sit there and stay alive. You don't look capable of much else." He added with a slight crook on his lips. 

"I'll see what I can do." Vin returned softly and noted the trajectory of the  _Tracker_. "JD are you attacking them?" He asked with a little grunt.  

"No," JD shook his head as the distance between the small ship and Vader's personal carrier began to close. "Buck told me once tractor beams on Star Destroyers have a very narrow field to be so precise. I figure if I can get close enough to it, I can skim the edge of the tractor field." 

"And keep those fighters from firing on their own ship." Vin responded impressed but was starting to feel his energy reserves dwindling again. The drugs were making it hard for him to keep alert even though so much was happening around him.  

"That's the theory." JD replied with a deep breath, hoping the gamble did not get them both killed. 

The  _Tracker_  flew towards the  _Executor_ fearlessly while still dogged by a number of TIE fighters less anxious than they were earlier about firing upon the small craft when it was so close to the large destroyer. Instead, they spread around the _Executor_ , attempting to box the Slipstream cruiser around the massive breadth of the ship, forcing it to break off and head back into open space so they could pummel it with more laser blasts. If it were not for the inordinate width of the cruiser's hull, the  _Tracker's_  shields would have buckled already but despite its reinforcements, the smaller craft was reaching its limits. When its shields collapsed, nothing would keep the  _Tracker_  from being destroyed. The powers that be wanted the passengers of the craft brought in alive and so the squadron leader of the TIE fighter contingent was herding the  _Tracker_  in for boarding, rather than disintegration.

The  _Tracker_  remained closed to the hull of the _Executor_ , skimming dangerously near the surface of the last craft and further limiting the TIE fighter's ability to shoot them down. Unfortunately, the ship was corralled and unless JD wanted to head back into space once more, they would be more or less trapped. If Buck was here, JD might have been able to remedy their situation by getting into the gunnery turret but the precision flying required to stay ahead of the TIE fighters could not be duplicated by auto-pilot. Vin was in no condition to take his place either, hell the apprentice should not even have been out of the medi-bay let alone at the controls of ship trying to evade capture by Imperial pilots. 

Just when JD started to contemplate the notion perhaps they ought to take their chances in open space once more, a most curious thing happened. One of the TIE fighters exploded and it had nothing to do with the  _Tracker_  firing upon it. The flare of its destruction lit up the sky and was quickly followed by another and then another, until debris started to fill the sky.  

"What the hell?" JD mused when suddenly a voice came through the comlink. 

" _racker_  get your ass to the hangar bay doors. We're wide open and we don't have time to stop." Mary Travis's voice ordered sharply throughout the small cockpit. 

"ALRIGHT!" JD grinned as he stared at the external scanner and saw the  _Purgatory_  swooping from nowhere, ploughing the space between them like streaking comet. She was laying down heavy fire and moving fast in an effort to shoot down any TIE fighter's in the air while at the same time, keeping her momentum so that she could escape the super star destroyer.  

"Yes Sir, we're on our way!" He declared jubilantly as he angled the  _Tracker_  away from the destroyer and rushed to meet the  _Purgatory_. "We're gonna be okay Vin!" JD grinned as the  _Tracker_  swooped in behind the  _Purgatory_  and quickly positioned itself to sail right into its open landing doors. Pouring all power to the rear thrusters, the  _Tracker_  surged ahead, keeping pace with the  _Purgatory_  as well as gaining a little more distance so it could enter the landing bay.  

"We made it!" JD declared exuberantly as they heard the hangar doors closing behind them once they were inside the  _Purgatory_. Shutting down all the ship's systems, JD never thought he would be so glad to catch a ride home instead of making the journey himself. "You're going to be alright Vin," he said as he was flicking switches. However, when he looked over his shoulder, Vin Tanner had lapsed into unconsciousness again.  

With a sad sigh, JD added softly even though Vin could not hear him. "At least I hope you're going to be okay."


	14. Coming Storms

He could smell Alex in his lungs. 

The soft scent of her skin flooded his consciousness with her intoxicating scent despite the fact he was presently drifting in the limbo between sleep and wakefulness. He could feel her warmth against his skin, a gentle stroking sensation that moved across his cheek and filled with so much comfort it chased away the demons plaguing his dreams. Memories of her swirled around his head, tantalizing him with the tasty morsels of her until he was savoring each sensation with growing intensity.  The unreality of his present state began to evaporate with his diminishing unconsciousness.  

Vin Tanner woke up and found Alexandra Styles next to his bed, her hand lazily stroking his brow as she closed her eyes, appearing to drift off herself as she continued the soothing motion. By the looks of it, she had been at his bedside for quite some time now and he wondered how long he had been unconscious. His body still ached but the pain was distant now, held in check no doubt by drugs and other remedies. Glancing at his shoulder, he saw it was encased in bacta-pack. A mixture of cybernetics and bio-genetics, the bacta-pack ensured his wounds were protected from germs and bacteria, while the cybernetics monitored the progress of his recovery under surgery and repaired the damage done to his body. 

He stared at Alex for awhile, enjoying the sight of her because it did much to alleviate the pain in his heart no amount of surgery could heal. No matter what JD had said to him on the  _Tracker_ , Vin knew if he had not rushed off on his own, Charlotte would still be alive. He was so determined to prove he could do it on his own, he had not only risked his life but he cost Charlotte’s her own. While the decision to face Vader was entirely her own, Vin knew she had been prompted into action because she wanted to save his life. For all he said to her and all that was no longer between them, she still traded her life for his. He could tell himself forever it was not his fault she was dead but he would never really believe it. 

Laying his head back on the pillow, he shuddered slightly as he felt the tears come freely. He did not want to sob or weep but he needed to mourn and with the shedding of those tears, fell his defenses lower. Vin sucked in his breath and tried to remain quiet, not wishing to wake up Alex but his sorrow reached her on a level not quite physical and she raised her head to look at him. Their eyes met and he saw the sympathy in her eyes as she reached over and held him in her arms, while mindful of his injury. For a long time, she held him close, allowing him to cry his tears into her shoulder, stroking his hair and whispering to him in a soft voice everything would be alright. 

"Its not your fault baby." She spoke quietly. "I know you don’t think so, but it's the truth." 

"I shouldn’t have gone after her." He despaired, his head still resting against her breast. "If I had….." 

"Vin, if you had not gone after her then she, her child and her friend would all be dead." Alex replied. "You did what you thought was right and because of that a little girl is free. I can’t say anything to you that will make this better except the best thing you can do now is to get well. She would want you to keep her daughter safe." 

Yes, Vin had to concede that. Alex was right, Lilith would need guarding and for what her mother had done for him, Vin was determined the little girl need never worry about Vader or the Empire again. "How long have you been here?" He asked, glad to see her even though he was somewhat surprised by her presence. 

"Mary contacted me during the  _Purgatory’s_  trip from Ithor." Alex answered, entwining her fingers in his. "She knew I would want to be here." 

"I’m glad you came." Vin swallowed thickly, his throat felt dry and immediately prompted her into giving him a little drink of water.  

"I had this feeling you know," she dropped her gaze for a moment after she lowered the cup back unto the table beside his bed. "I don’t know how I knew you were in trouble, I was almost waiting for Mary’s call. I just knew you were hurt."

"I loved her once," Vin admitted readily, wanting no secrets between them on this matter. "I guess a part of me will always love her but that’s not why I went there. I went because I promised her I would come if she ever needed me." 

"Vin," Alex interrupted before he could go any further. She did not need him to tell her what she already knew in her heart. It was illogical to assume before entering each others lives there were no past lovers or deep attachments. There were such things in Alex’s past and she was not about to hold it against Vin that he had loved before her. "You don’t have to explain it to me. I know how we feel about each other and I have to trust in that if there is ever to be an ‘us’. I love you Vin and whatever happens, I’ll be there with you even if I’m not always around. We’ll get through this."  

Her confidence and her sincerity flooded his heart with affection and it was good to know she understood his feelings about Charlotte and was not intimidated by it. When he had told Charlotte he loved Alex, he meant it. Charlotte was someone from his past, in more ways than one now and Alex was his future. Still, it did feel good hearing she returned the intensity of his passion. Almost as good as knowing she had remained at his side since arriving at the rebel base, keeping watch over him in his unconscious state. He had never had anyone care that much for him. Although now Vin considered it a little more deeply, he also underestimated how much Charlotte cared for him too. Vin could not repair the mistake made by him in regards to his past love but he could ensure he did not repeat it with Alex.  

"I love you Alex and I’m glad you understand," Vin said softly as he touched her cheek gently. Their eyes met and so much was exchanged in that single look Vin knew what he felt for Alex was strong and passionate, yet markedly different from his feelings for Charlotte. There was something to be said about knowing one’s heart so completely and with Alex, he knew she felt the same. "It means a lot to me." 

"You mean a lot to me." She held his hand to her cheek and turned her head just enough to plant a soft kiss on his palm.  

They did not speak for a few seconds before something else filled his thoughts and despite how painful the subject or how tender the moment, he had to satisfy his curiosity. "Did they know what happened to her?"

Alex nodded slowly, anticipating the question at some point. "Our Ithorian informants report after you and JD left Seleusa, Charlotte fought it out with Vader. After you took off, the  _Executor_ sent the troops in and a stormtrooper who didn’t know better, shot her during the battle. Vader killed him for it." 

"It was a Jedi matter," Vin said sadly, trying not to let the news of Charlotte’s end bring fresh tears to his eyes. All he could do to contain his sorrow and anger was to turn away from Alex momentarily while he composed himself. "And her body?" He almost could not bring himself to say the word. "I suppose they sent it back to Richmond?" 

"No," Alex shook her head. "There was no body. Before she died, she threw herself off the herdship. I guess she did want them to have the satisfaction of having a trophy."

"At least that’s something." Vin retorted but in truth, he did not think that was much at all. However, he was pleased about one thing at least and that was the fact Vader was denied what he wanted. 

The secret about Luke Skywalker was still safe. 

* * *

 

 

 

Vin dozed off after being visited by a number of his friends, including Mary Travis, who offered him a suggestion about what was to be done about Maria and Lilith. Very quickly, they both agreed the rebel base was no place for a child and Mary thought it would be a good idea if Maria and her new charge traveled to Bakura to live with her own son Billy and his grandfather Orin Travis. Bakura’s distance from the core worlds kept Imperial activity to a bare minimum and Mary doubted the Empire would be all that concerned with a child. Still, Vin would rather not take any chances and agreed to the idea, pending what Lilith and Maria thought about the idea themselves. He wanted to protect Lilith but he would not presume to lord over her just because he felt guilty about her mother’s death. 

When he woke up again, he found his latest visitor was not Alex, who disappeared to get some rest herself, but rather Chris Larabee. The Jedi looked in almost as bad shape as he and the two warriors, both possessing their own battle wounds faced each other for the first time since this whole affair on Ithor had come up. Normally Vin could read the emotions radiating from the Jedi but on this occasion, Chris’s thoughts were a mystery to him. He thought that Chris might be angry with him and was shutting him out. Vin supposed the Jedi was perfectly justified in that after all, he had run off foolishly, not to mention impetuously. It was the last time he would ever do that again. The consequences of his actions, no matter how small had serious repercussions on all those around him. Vin felt ashamed of what he had done but not the feelings that inspired it. He had given Charlotte his word and if a man could not honor his word, what was he then? 

"You’re not a man," Chris said as he lowered himself onto the chair that Alex had occupied earlier. "You’re a Jedi."

Chris was still wearing his medical fatigues and was yet to be released from the ministrations of the base’s medical centre. His visit to Vin’s room had been accomplished by way of a crutch for he was still too weak to walk on his own and ignored the medi-droid’s ardent protest he remain in bed instead of pursuing such a laborious undertaking.  

"I’m not even that." Vin retorted bitterly. "I faced Vader and got my ass handed to me. It took Charlotte to save me and she died because of that." 

"She died because it was her destiny and she made the choice to intervene. Don’t lessen her gift to you by thinking you were not deserving of it." Chris reminded gently and then added. "Vin, I’m sorry about Charlotte." 

"I shouldn’t have gone." Vin whispered unable to meet his gaze. "I made things worse for her by going Chris. You were right, I should have stayed." 

"There are some things about which no one can tell us what to do Vin," Chris met his gaze with sympathy. "We all find ourselves facing moments like that and in the beginning we all make mistakes by following our heart instead of our heads. No one is exclusively immune, not even the Jedi. If anything, we follow our instincts  _too much_  sometimes, only we call it adhering to our destiny when the simple truth is we just believe too greatly in being right. It’s a failing we all share so I wouldn’t beat yourself up too much about it. You’ll learn as I learned what risks are worth taking and what cannot be changed no matter what one might wish." 

"If I ever get to be a Jedi." The younger man snorted. "At this rate, I’ll get myself killed first."

"Vin," Chris met his eyes firmly. "You faced your fear by going to fight Vader. I know how terrified you were of doing that but you went anyway because you wanted to save Charlotte and the others. You faced him and you fought him." 

"And I lost." Vin pointed out.  

"Being a Jedi is not about winning or losing Vin." Chris returned with a little smile. "Its about facing fear, about not letting it beat you or tempt you to the dark side. You may not have beaten Vader but you did face your fear and overcome it and for a Jedi, there is no more important obstacle then that." 

"Are you telling I made it?" Vin stared at him in astonishment. "That I’m a Jedi now?" 

"No," Chris shook his head. "You’re not a Jedi yet and honestly, you’ll know when you are without me having to mark the day. You still have a ways to go yet but you’ve taken an important step forward." 

"I guess that’s something," he sighed and faced Chris again. "What happened to him Chris? What could have possibly happen to a man to make him turn out like Vader?’ 

Chris stiffened, knowing something of the tale but not enough to give Vin an answer. In truth, many Jedi wondered about it but the answer was elusive and those who survived tried not to delve too much into the how, possibly fearing the answer might lead them to take the same path.

"I don’t know Vin. Ben didn’t like too talk too much about it. I only know the dark side can trick you into believing it can be controlled. Perhaps that’s what happened to Anakin. Maybe he thought he could use the dark side to help others. They say the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Perhaps he thought he could tame the dark side and discovered too late it was he was being tamed instead." 

"It’s scary thinking a person could get so bent out of shape to become what Vader has." Vin remarked. He hoped he would never find out what could twist a man’s soul so much it would shape him the way it had shaped Vader. The memory of his duel with Vader would stay with him for a long time. It was not simply because he almost died at the hands of the Sith lord but because it was a terrifying reminder of how to never to underestimate the dark side of the Force. Vader was a living testament to that mistake and how horribly wrong things could become if one did not take the training of the Jedi to heart. 

"I like to think there is some good in him," Chris replied, his own memories of the Vader and Anakin still haunting him on some nights, especially when he recalled the moment during their battle when he had almost succumbed to the dark side. "But its going to take more than any of us can manage to bring it out again." 

"I feel sorry for the poor bastard who ever gets saddled with  _that_  job," Vin declared sarcastically.

"Vin," Chris said suddenly, brushing the subject aside for the moment. "Its good to have you back. I was starting to think the worse for awhile there." Chris had known the instant Vader had delivered the blow that almost killed Vin. Chris could hear the scream in his mind, even so far away from Ithor. For a terrible moment, Chris feared the possibility Vin was dead and that loss seemed unimaginable. If not for the threads of consciousness Chris could still feel emanating from the younger man through their close mental link, he might have feared that initial vision to be the truth.  

It was not easy for Chris Larabee to admit his feelings like this and Vin was somewhat touched by the effort. Both were rather solitary men by nature but for some reason they shared an unexplainable kinship that was more than just the Force at work. "I know what you mean. Its good to be back Chris. I won't run out on you again, I promise." 

"Vin you didn’t run out on me," Chris said firmly, not wishing the younger man to think that any point. "You did what you had to do and in your place, I might have done the same." 

"Thanks Chris," Vin replied with obvious relief. "That’s good to know."  

"However, if you do it again, I  _will_   kick your ass." Chris added with a little smile.  

"Thanks," Vin gave him a look. "You’re a  _real_   friend." 

* * *

The Modrek did not know how long he remained in his cell but was certain he was soon to die.  

When Vader had taken all he knew from Crawl's mind to learn all he could about Vin Tanner, the Modrek had resisted in the finest tradition of his people's warrior culture, determined the dark lord would not make him betray the young apprentice. Unfortunately, Crawl never really had a chance of resisting the Jedi who was willing to tear his mind asunder to acquire what he needed. Crawl liked to think if he had been younger, he might have been able to withstand the mental assault but the truth was, Vader was simply too strong for him. It had taken less than an hour for him to betray Vin and when Vader was finished with him, he was dragged back to his cell in detention facility somewhere in Coruscant and left there to rot. 

Imperial prisons were neither dank nor stygian. There were monuments to industrialization. Steel walls, hard floors, and dark metal surface that made one feel entombed inside a iron coffin with no way out but through the front door. There were no windows, no contact with other prisoners; the walls were sound proof so there was nothing to hear but one's own breath suffocating with loneliness. Food was dispensed through a slot in the wall and that soon became the only way for Crawl to mark time. After awhile, Crawl started to go a little crazy from not knowing how long he had been trapped inside this steel dungeon. Had it been days or weeks? The expanse of time became blurred in his mind and he started to believe they had forgotten about him and he would die in here without ever seeing the sunlight again. 

Crawl was actually starting to consider taking his own life when the doors slid open and he saw another being for the first time in so long, he could hardly remember what another person looked like. The new arrival could have been mistaken for being human if not for the indigo colored and his red eyes. He looked in every other way human except for those two chracteristics. A regal looking man in his white Imperial uniform, the Modrek had never a uniform like that. He knew since the Empire had come into existence, some would be demi-gods eager to show the galaxy they were great military men, fashioned uniforms for themselves, usually encrusting their chests and collar with all kinds of decorative braids and medals that were probably bought more than earned.  

The uniform of the man who entered was not encrusted with such adornment and all that marked his rank was the gold braids on his shoulders. The Modrek stared for a moment and observed him more closely when his visitor strode into the room. According to the rank insignia on his uniform, this humanoid was a Grand Admiral and he looked it too. Stony faced, hard but ruthlessly intelligent eyes studied him with even greater precision than even Crawl was scrutinizing him. For a few moments, neither man spoke as the Grand Admiral stood in the middle of the cell, his personal guard, Crawl assumed, waiting for him at the doorway. 

"So you are the Modrek who delivered Vin Tanner to Vader?" He said coolly, his voice measured and indicative of a cultured upbringing. 

Crawl did not speak suddenly having this premonition this creature before him could be almost as bad as Vader, if not worse. 

"Your people are a proud race." The Grand Admiral continued to speak. "It cannot have been easy to have fought so valiantly and still be defeated by a power you cannot see or touch. The Jedi are insidious in that way. They rob one of a fair fight." 

Crawl did not react but he agreed with the Grand Admiral wholeheartedly on that point. 

"I have no wish to kill you. Your records indicate you have been a loyal citizen of the Empire since its inception and that your friendship with Vin Tanner originated prior to his acts of treason. You do not have any current links with the rebellion other than occasionally keeping contact with Tanner. You are for most part, a law abiding citizen of the Empire." The Grand Admiral declared. "I do not make war on civilians, Mr Crawl. Your infractions are minor and certainly not warranting an extended imprisonment in this facility." 

Was this Grand Admiral letting him go? Crawl thought to himself, trying to quell the surge of hope that bubbled inside of him at that possibility. There had to be some price to all this, he told himself. The universe could not be so benevolent, at least not the one he knew. For the first time, Crawl allowed himself to speak. 

"What do you want from me?" 

The Grand Admiral's lips curled slightly. "I see we understand each other. Excellent." He said with a nod of approval at Crawl for letting him get to the point. "Vader is interested in Vin Tanner which I consider a minor matter. The Jedi and their kind are done in this galaxy. I seriously doubt the existence of a handful of Jedi is any threat to the Empire as it stands so I will dispense with trying to wring more information about Tanner from you." 

Despite himself, Crawl reacted enough to show he was glad of that. 

"However, while I consider the Jedi are non threat, the Rebel Alliance is another thing entirely. Great storms often announce themselves with the coming a small breeze and right now, the Rebellion is a small breeze. The Emperor has foreseen just how much destruction they can cause and wants the movement destroyed now, while we are still able to contain the situation." 

"I don't know anything about the Rebel Alliance." The Modrek said sincerely. "I've only been in contact with Vin twice and the last time was when Vader took the information about Charlotte Richmond from me and made me send that transmission after she contacted me." 

"Ah yes," the Grand Admiral smiled and his red eyes seemed to sparkle as he spoke. "So let's talk about that transmission, shall we?"

* * *

Less than fifteen minutes later, following his order to release the Modrek, Grand Admiral Thrawn was making his way back to his ship, the  _Chimaera_ , currently in orbit around Coruscant. Although receiving some initial protest from the warder of the facility, Thrawn saw no reason to go back on his word to free the Modrek after he was given the information needed. Thrawn had been right to keep him detained, as opposed to allowing the execution order Vader had desired carried out, aware the Modrek who were a claustrophobic race, would be more pliable after spending a good deal of time inside a cell. No doubt the Sith Lord would have some thing to say about this when the news reached him but Thrawn was not concerned because in exchange for the Modrek's freedom, he would be delivering Mary Travis to the Emperor. 

His adjutant, Lieutenant Pallaeon fell into stride with him as he made his way back to his shuttle presently awaiting him at the launch bay of the prison facility. "Did he cooperate, Sir?" Pallaeon inquired even though he should have known better by now that Thrawn would have made him talk one way or another.

"Yes he did," Thrawn answered calmly. "I want our best code slicers on Bimmisari immediately. Tanner has some kind of a redirect at a transmission storage facility there, which sends all communications addressed to him through a scrambled frequency. Crack the frequency code and we not only have the whereabouts of his ship and but also the location of a Rebel Alliance base in the Territory." 

"And Mary Travis." Pallaeon concluded. 

Thrawn allowed himself a little smile, " _and_   Mary Travis."

 

**THE END**


End file.
